To Catch a Flower
by Sailor Panda
Summary: After Akito's ultimatum sends Yuki and Kyou far away, Tohru is left in the house and hands of Shigure. Just what are his plans for her anyway?
1. Removing Obstacles

AN: Was feeling quirky so I've sprinkled in Japanese words here and there in the fic. In case you don't know them, here's a mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents:  
  
baka neko – stupid cat  
  
kuso nezumi – damn mouse  
  
arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much  
  
sumimasen – 'I'm sorry' or 'excuse me'  
  
bento – Japanese boxed lunches  
  
iie – no  
  
hai – yes  
  
oi – hey  
  
itterasshai – take care (said to someone leaving home)  
  
ittekimasu – I'm leaving (said by someone when leaving home)  
  
maa – 'well' or placating when strung together several times like saying 'now, now, now'  
  
ano – sound of hesitation like saying 'well' or 'um'  
  
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context  
  
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CHAPTER 1: Removing Obstacles  
  
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"Baka neko!"  
  
"Kuso nezumi!"  
  
The loud shouts shattered the otherwise peacefulness of the isolated forest setting as Yuki and Kyou glared at each other, practically growling as they each struggled to get his own luggage out the door first. The shoving and pushing of the two agitated teens mixed with sporadic bursts of heated eye contact being exchanged was a ridiculous sight to be faced with in the morning, even if it was almost afternoon, thought Shigure as he watched them with a put upon look on his face.  
  
When one particular shove threatened to make the doorway cave in, Shigure's expression became strained. "You two," he called, "try not to break the house just before you leave. I don't want to be spending any more money on repairs."  
  
Yuki and Kyou stopped their doorway tussling long enough to shoot him thundering black scowls, intense enough to have Shigure's brows rising in concern for his own personal safety, before they resumed their luggage war.  
  
Shigure sighed, not really surprised in the least by their blatant hostility. Even though it was a throwback to how well they'd been getting along for the past year, barely even fighting verbally not to mention physically. But both of them had been increasingly irritable the past week, taking their frustrations mostly upon each other, as their unwanted departure date had loomed closer at hand. And now it was here, the dreaded day they were to go off to college, leaving the house and the last vestiges of their memorable high school days behind.  
  
Including Tohru.  
  
That was the reason they didn't want to leave, even while it was also the reason for their parting in the first place. Akito's ultimatum had come during their last year of high school in a bid to further separate the two from Tohru who had only seemed to become more and more entrenched into the Soumas' lives as the months had continued to pass.  
  
Kyou and Yuki were to attend college far away from home at Kyushu University and have him, Akito, leave Tohru in peace for the remainder of her stay with the family, however long that may be, or go against his proclamation and have her suffer the consequences for their refusal. It was a well-planned strategy on Akito's part as Kyou and Yuki had capitulated in an effort to free Tohru as much as they could from the Souma head's machinations. And, of course, Tohru's involvement in the matter concerning their decision was to be kept secret from her because of the guilt they all knew she'd feel were she to find out.  
  
A thumping sound returned Shigure's attention to the doorway where he saw that Kyou had won in getting himself and his stuff out of the house first. But that was only because he had been kicked out of the way and sent sprawling on the ground by Yuki who proceeded to carry his own things through the suddenly cleared exit. A snarling Kyou picked himself off the ground and most likely would have launched himself at Yuki and started a brawl if it hadn't been for the rapidly approaching sounds of bare feet slapping on wooden floor. The Souma males watched with interest as an out of breath Tohru appeared, clutching two cloth wrapped packages in her arms.  
  
"Sumimasen! I didn't mean to take so long," she huffed. She held out the packages to Yuki and Kyou. "Please take these! I made some bento for Kyou- kun and Yuki-kun to eat for lunch."  
  
"Honda-san shouldn't have gone through the trouble," Yuki told her as he accepted the bento she offered him.  
  
"Yeah," said Kyou as he took his own. "We could have just bought something when we got hungry."  
  
"Iie," she said, shaking her head vigorously. "I was happy to do it. Kyou- kun and Yuki-kun have done so much for me these past years that I was finally able to graduate from high school, just like Mother wanted me to. Arigatou gozaimasu." She bowed and smiled at them gratefully. "Making bento was the least I could do on such an important day for you two after all the help you've given me. Also, this was my small way of offering encouragement to you in your future efforts just as you've always encouraged me."  
  
"Oi!" Kyou tried to control his rising blush, without much luck. "Don't go making it sound so special. We didn't do anything!"  
  
"Much as I hate to agree with the baka neko," Yuki smiled at Tohru and ignored the piercing glare a churlish Kyou aimed at him, "there's no need for you to thank us. Honda-san is the one who should be praised for putting so much effort into everything."  
  
"Iie," she disputed. She would have said more but for the soft finger laid against her lips, silencing her, as Yuki looked down at her with a gentle appearance on his face.  
  
"Honda-san," started Yuki in a soft voice, "shouldn't protest so much on this. All of us have been helped greatly by you many times, even though you may not realize it. We're all very happy to have met you and grateful for your presence in our lives. So, please, no more objecting, alright?"  
  
They all looked to her, waiting for her consent that they felt her tender heart would be unable to refuse. What they got were large eyes filling up with tears until they spilled over onto reddened cheeks as feminine lips trembled with emotion. To Shigure, it was an adorable bittersweet sight. However, to the teenaged boys who looked on with growing alarm, it was enough to strike fear into the bravest of men who would valiantly forge into the bloodiest of battles without hesitation but would cower before the signs of a woman's heartfelt feelings.  
  
"Oi!" yelled a panic-stricken Kyou. "Why are you crying? What the kuso nezumi said was a good thing, right?" Then he turned on Yuki as his agitated emotions carried him away. "Kuso nezumi! This is your fault for saying such depressing stuff! You made her upset and cry!"  
  
Guilt over those very thoughts mingled with his panic over not knowing what to do about Tohru's flowing tears and had Yuki unleashing the result of that volatile mix upon Kyou. "Baka neko! You must really be stupid if you feel the need to state the obvious. Anyone with any sense can see what's going on. But can't you see that pointing it out just makes Honda-san feel even worse? Baka neko."  
  
With that provoking statement shifting the blame towards him, Kyou rounded on Yuki. "Why you, kuso nezumi!" He clenched a fist, ready to hurl it at his nemesis. "I'll-!"  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Tohru's frantic cry halted the fight about to explode before the front door. She rubbed at her eyes, wiping away the moisture that continued to trail down already damp cheeks while the others looked on.  
  
"Sumimasen," she said apologetically. "I didn't mean to cause a misunderstanding. I wasn't upset. I was really happy."  
  
The doubtful looks on their faces made her smile.  
  
"Truly, I was. It's wonderful to think that there's someone who has such thoughts about me. I was really, really happy to hear that."  
  
The warm expression she aimed at them had them relaxing in relief, the tension in the air dissipating, as their own lips curved upwards in response.  
  
An amused Shigure observed the scene as a single look from a tiny female defeated the battle-fired demons of two excitable teenage boys with barely any effort. He'd been at the forefront to witness such occurrences many times over the past years but, still, it never failed to appeal to his sense of humor. Unfortunately, her next words, while continuing to delight Shigure, had the Kyou and Yuki stiffening again with a new kind of strain as she frowned at them.  
  
"Will Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun try not to fight when you're away at college?" she asked anxiously. "It might be difficult to adjust to such a big change and I would feel better knowing that Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun will help each other if there are any problems."  
  
Kyou and Yuki began to sweat, neither one of them wanting to make a commitment that would tie them closer to each other.  
  
"Ah, Honda-san," started Yuki at the same time as Kyou's strained, "Oi."  
  
"Please?" asked Tohru, looking up at them with large limpid eyes that still glistened with the faint sheen of the tears she'd recently shed. "Could Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun please try to get along as best as they can?"  
  
In the face of that earnest expression, there was no way they could win.  
  
With a strained smile, Yuki replied, "I can't promise anything. But, for Honda-san's sake, I'll try." His words were echoed by a consenting grunt from Kyou.  
  
A radiant beam was their reward as she seemed to light up in happiness. "I'm so glad," she sighed, clapping her hands in a sign of relief. "I was worried but now I can relax if Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun will be looking out for each other."  
  
Any further dissents they might have made to refute that statement was halted as a loud honking of a horn reached their ears. Kyou and Yuki looked at each other, similar expressions on their faces as the same thoughts took their minds.  
  
There was no more time left.  
  
It was time to go.  
  
"That must be Hatori," Yuki said, staring off in the direction of the sound.  
  
"Hai," Tohru agreed, her tone and face falling.  
  
"Oi," came Kyou's voice as a fist gently rapped her on the head. "There's no reason to be like that. We'll be back during breaks."  
  
"Hai!" Tohru exclaimed, face brightening. "And don't forget to call. Especially once you get there. I want to know when Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun arrive safely."  
  
Kyou nodded. "And don't you forget what I told you," Kyou reminded her, ignoring the curious glances the other Souma males were throwing at him.  
  
"Hai."  
  
The soft look Kyou gave her hardened as he turned to glare at Shigure. "Oi. You'd better not try anything funny while we're gone."  
  
"Me?" The look on Shigure's face was full of innocent surprise. "Kyou- kun, how mean! Saying such a thing to the man who gave you a roof over your head while you finished high school."  
  
"Shigure," Kyou growled warningly.  
  
Shigure held out a hand, palm out, in a gesture of peace. "Honestly! We've lived together for this long with nothing happening. Why would things change now?"  
  
Kyou eyed the dog suspiciously and had to be satisfied with that answer. With a sigh, he turned to Tohru. "Then I guess I'll be going. Remember what I said," he told her again. Then with a last look at her, he picked up his luggage and started down the path away from the house to where Hatori was waiting with the car.  
  
"Itterasshai!" Tohru called to his retreating back before turning to Yuki only to find him glaring at Shigure.  
  
"Now that the baka neko's gone, I want to back up what he said. Shigure, you'd better behave yourself around Honda-san while we're gone. If we hear of any-"  
  
"Maa, maa, maa," Shigure clucked, holding up a placating hand. "What kind of monster do you think I am to take advantage of someone?"  
  
Yuki's face darkened. "Do you really want me to answer that?"  
  
"How cruel!" Shigure gasped in mock pain. "Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun both saying such terrible things to me on the day we're to be parted." His body slumped as if suddenly depressed and he shook his head sadly. "And after all I've done for the two of you."  
  
"Being a nuisance?" Yuki asked irritably.  
  
"A-ano," Tohru broke in hesitantly as she looked back and forth anxiously between Yuki and Shigure. "Yuki-kun doesn't have to worry. I'm sure Shigure-san and I will be fine by ourselves."  
  
At the innocent expression on her face, a sign that she didn't understand the nuances of the conversation, Yuki grew visibly worried. "Honda-san, you should be more careful of yourself when we're gone."  
  
"Eh?" Tohru's face scrunched in confusion as she tried to figure out the meaning of his words.  
  
Yuki sighed in resignation.  
  
There wasn't enough time to explain and past experience told him that it probably wouldn't do much good even if he tried. The only other person around who could understand, even if he pretended not to, was the one he was leaving her behind to.  
  
It was worrisome because, despite having lived under the same roof for years, Yuki still wasn't sure what to make of Shigure, or how far to trust him. Even so, Shigure had never really done anything to Tohru and the idea of her staying here under someone's supervision rather than going off to live on her own and getting in who knows what kinds of trouble was far more preferable.  
  
'That's right,' Yuki thought, 'this is better because when college is over...'  
  
He and Kyou could come back and Akito would no longer have any say about doing anything to her. But he had to make sure that she'd be as safe as possible until then. With that idea in mind, Yuki gave Shigure another hard look, mustering as much force and determination as he could behind it. But Shigure, who knew full well what was coming by that one glare alone, forestalled any words he may have spoken.  
  
"Hai, hai, hai," went Shigure in an uninterested tone as he airily waved a hand in dismissal. "No need to worry. I'll be sure to take good care of our little flower."  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of." Nevertheless, Yuki relaxed slightly at the assurance.  
  
It was better than nothing.  
  
"Yuki-kun."  
  
Tohru's soft voice and the light touch of her hand on his had him looking towards her, only to find her gazing up at him in such a way that it brought a slight flush rising to his cheeks. It was a look that never failed to stir a reaction in him and was made all the more attractive because she had no idea what she did to people she leveled that look at.  
  
He was going to miss it.  
  
"What is it, Honda-san?" he asked in a low voice so only the two of them could hear.  
  
"Yuki-kun also has to take very good care. Even though Hatori-san said your body's really strong now against illnesses, I still worry. Please take care not to get sick."  
  
"Hai," he promised.  
  
A hand came up to touch one of the yellow ribbons in her hair, ribbons he'd given to her long ago, full of memories of times past. It was one of the closest things he could come to in order to express his affection and how painful the parting was, unable to risk a hug at this late juncture.  
  
And Tohru, being Tohru, understood perfectly. One of her own hands reached up to clasp his and squeezed gently in a comforting touch as the expression on her face softened even more.  
  
"It's okay," she said quietly. "I'll be fine. Yuki-kun should concentrate on Yuki-kun. There will be many wonderful opportunities in Kyushu, I'm sure. Yuki-kun should take this chance and experience it all." She tilted her head as she smiled. "And Yuki-kun can tell me all about it over the phone."  
  
"Of course," he said, his own smile a little lighter.  
  
"And I'm sure Yuki-kun will be an even more wonderful person when he comes back!" she exclaimed happily.  
  
At that, Yuki gave a small chuckle. "It's just like Honda-san to say something like that."  
  
With some reluctance, he released her hand and stepped back. Yuki flushed a little more when he noticed a grinning Shigure's attention focused on them, a presence he'd temporarily forgotten about.  
  
But another loud honking cut through the air and Yuki knew he couldn't linger anymore. He picked up his bags, bento tucked under one arm, and turned for a brief look back.  
  
"Until later, then." He sent another warm smile in Tohru's direction. "Ittekimasu."  
  
"Hai," she said brightly. "Itterasshai."  
  
She stood in the doorway and waved in farewell at his departing form until he was lost from sight. Once he was gone, her hand dropped to her side as she continued to stand there, gazing at the spot she'd last seen him. But she was torn away from whatever thoughts were running through her head by Shigure's jovial voice echoing in her ears.  
  
"Ne, Tohru-kun? Tohru-kun."  
  
Startled by the sound of her name being called, Tohru whirled to face Shigure who was staring back at her with his usual amused expression.  
  
She blushed, a little embarrassed when she realized he'd been trying to get her attention for some time while she'd been staring off into space. She mentally chided herself for being so rude to him when she was being allowed to continue living in his house even though she'd finished high school and, by rights, should have moved out on her own now that she was able to work full-time without having to worry about going to school.  
  
She bowed as she apologized. "Sumimasen! I didn't mean to ignore Shigure- san!"  
  
"Iie, iie. It's okay." His hands came up, clasping Tohru's shoulders as he leaned in closer. "I know Tohru-kun must be sad to see Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun go. Maa, I guess I'll have to do my best in their place."  
  
She stared up in those dark features quizzically, partially transfixed by that dark gaze boring down on her. She had the impression that there was something more to his words but was unsure as to just what that could be.  
  
"Ano, Shigure-san?" She recalled how he'd tried to get her attention while she'd been caught up in her reverie. "Did Shigure-san want something?"  
  
A dark brow arched up as his lips twitched. "Now there's a leading question," he said. But he shrugged away the confused gaze she gave him and smiled down at her. "I wanted to ask Tohru-kun when lunch will be."  
  
"Ah!" she cried, realizing it was almost lunchtime.  
  
Guilt assailed her as Shigure looked on. She felt absolutely terrible that she'd been so lost in thought that she had nearly neglected her duties to the point where she had to be reminded by the person she owed them to. This was no way to begin their new living arrangements and she was anxious to make up for her lapse.  
  
"Sumimasen!" Tohru exclaimed in a rush as she dashed towards the kitchen. "I'll get started right away!"  
  
She was completely unaware of the intense dark-eyed gaze that trailed after her. 


	2. First Night Together

AN: A mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents of Japanese:  
  
hai – yes  
  
ano – um  
  
sumimasen – I'm sorry  
  
iie – no  
  
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context  
  
maa – well  
  
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CHAPTER 2: First Night Together  
  
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Soft breathy sighs...  
  
The slickness of damp, warm flesh pressing against him...  
  
Cool caresses of trailing silky hair across the heat of his skin...  
  
Moist lips opening and welcoming upon his own....  
  
And the aching strained feminine cry of his name....  
  
"Shigure-san, Shigure-san...Shigure-san!"  
  
With a jerk, he startled, his elbowing slipping off the edge of his working desk and nearly sending his weight tumbling in an ungainly heap to the floor.  
  
Luckily, he caught himself before his face met the weaving of the tatami mats on which he sat. Heart racing wildly, he looked around in disorientation, taking in the scattered papers he'd sent flying off the table with his ignoble awakening as well as the shadowy darkness of his study caused by the setting of the sun.  
  
He vaguely recalled trying to get a little more work done on his next manuscript after lunch but he must have fallen asleep in the midst of it and into dreams until her call had jerked him back to reality. It had been so wonderful too, he thought mournfully as fading images from his dream flashed across his mind. Although, he realized uncomfortably as he looked down at his lap, it had also created a few problems.  
  
"Shigure-san!"  
  
The worried cry coming from the other side of the door to his study shook him out of his thoughts as he tried to fully clear his dream-fogged mind. The task would have been easier, he inwardly reflected, if the object of his sleep-induced fantasy hadn't been the one addressing him.  
  
"What is it?" he asked.  
  
"Is everything alright?" came Tohru's concerned voice.  
  
Realizing his voice was scratchy from sleep and had, no doubt, been partial cause for the present tone of worry in her words, he cleared his throat before attempting to reassure her. He was pleased at his success when his tone rang out in his usual confident manner.  
  
"Hai," he said. "Everything is fine so there's no need to concern yourself."  
  
"Really?" she asked, doubt still clouding her voice.  
  
"Hai," he replied with as much reassurance that he could muster and was rewarded with her sigh of relief.  
  
"Good," she said, cheerful once more. "Then, if Shigure-san likes, dinner is ready now."  
  
Shigure blinked. So that was the reason she had been calling him, he finally realized. His mind never was one to function well immediately after waking, no matter if it was just a brief cat-nap or a full night's sleep.  
  
"Ah, I'll be there soon," he replied.  
  
"Okay."  
  
He listened to the sounds of her retreating footsteps and sighed, clapping a hand over his face as events past replayed in his head. The dreams he had been having were coming more and more frequently lately. Though they had started, those featuring her at any rate, when she'd first moved in a few years ago, he'd attributed it to the natural lusts of any healthy adult male living in a house with only one female body to speak of. He had never claimed to be a saint, after all  
  
Saint Shigure.  
  
Hell would laugh while Heaven wept.  
  
It was somewhat amusing, he supposed, though he couldn't find much humor in it at the moment. Not when he was losing so much sleep over it or, at least, in thinking about the cause behind the disturbing frequency of them.  
  
When they'd first begun, they'd been easily ignored, for a variety of reasons. One was what he'd told himself over and over; it was because he was male so it was a given that he'd dream about the nearest accessible female, especially since he'd always been highly sexed ever since he'd hit puberty. The second reason was that, contrary to popular belief, he did possess some scruples; perhaps fewer than most others but enough that prevented him from taking immediate advantage of a high school female given the situation, even if he did happen to enjoy looking. A fainter reason was the gap in their ages that did carry some stigma in terms of appearances, especially with the vast differences between his jaded experiences in terms of hers.  
  
And yet another was that...from the very start, she'd obviously been meant for one of the other male inhabitants of the house, either Kyou or Yuki.  
  
He had, after all, intended it that way.  
  
He'd never planned on getting involved with her himself, never had a truly serious thought about that when they'd first met, no matter how much he'd joked about it. He had always imagined, especially in light of the events that had unfolded since the four had started co-habiting with one another, that she would be with one of the others by this time in their lives.  
  
He'd done his best to make it so without their realizing it.  
  
Yes – he'd only been focused on furthering his own plots, with her as the tool, when he'd first come up with the idea of inviting her to stay on a permanent basis. That was the beginning and end of it.  
  
Plus, they really had needed a housekeeper.  
  
As the wonderful aroma of a home-cooked dinner wafted on the air, he closed his eyes blissfully as he absorbed the delicious scents. Food was a weakness of his and, even if events hadn't gone as he'd planned, he couldn't regret it if this was one of his rewards.  
  
He still had nightmares of when the cooking had been left to Yuki's hands.  
  
Of course, his own attempts had fared no better.  
  
No, post-Tohru days in the lives of the Souma males were infinitely better on all accounts than the ones that had come before. No more digging through piles of clothes strewn on the floor to find something clean on wear, no more large amounts of money spent on always eating out or ordering food to be delivered, no more germ and insect attracting deep forest of garbage that their kitchen had become before she'd arrived.  
  
Then there was how the general atmosphere of the household had gradually become much warmer and enjoyable to live in after she'd joined it. Despite the rocky moments they'd had to wade through, overall, he felt it was worth it.  
  
Even if he was constantly plagued with dreams.  
  
It was those dreams that troubled him, the content of them rather than their frequency, although that was somewhat worrisome as well. Not the sexual ones, those he found very enjoyable and quite normal considering his personality. No, it was the other dreams that often kept him up late wondering over them because they had nothing whatsoever to do with sex, unless an extremely sexually-minded dream analyst were to interpret them.  
  
It made him anxious, those dreams, because they were so unlike what he usually had and were centered on a particular person when, before, identities had remained hidden. Perhaps he had had similar such night visions in the past, but those had been vague and unclear, lacking the vivid details his current ones possessed. Plus, they'd only started appearing rapidly these past few months.  
  
Since the time Akito declared his ultimatum.  
  
The nuances of the timing of the two events were not lost on him, not with his agile and capable mind. He knew full well what that implied. But the question was –  
  
What was he going to do about it?  
  
Was he going to follow his urges or let things lie as they were? The first option was full of risk while the latter would be infinitely safer.  
  
He was a selfish creature whose top priority was himself.  
  
He knew that very well about himself.  
  
No matter how many lies he spun around others, to do so concerning himself was dangerous and suicidal...and he had never been the suicidal sort.  
  
That's why he made it a point to be truthful to himself at the very least and made himself confront the very worst traits of his personality. Knowing himself so well made it easier for him to hide the darker aspects of his nature since he was most aware of the traits that needed to be concealed. It all worked well for him, enabling him to subtly work things to his own ends as he manipulated people without their knowledge into doing the dirty work for him.  
  
After all, why should he risk himself when there was someone else with a similar goal to do it for him?  
  
If things worked out, both manipulator and manipulatee would have a happy ending. If not...well, at least he would still have a shot at it. He would just have to be patient and wait until the next potential fall guy made an appearance. That was his usual mode of operation.  
  
Only...it didn't seem to be working out that way this time around.  
  
All of his plotting seemed to have crumbled like ash while some force within him was clamoring for a change; a change that was contrary to his customary nature of caution, cloaked by the sometimes reckless and jovial air he usually wore, borne by his selfish streak that wanted his desires met with the minimal amount of risk to himself. The urges within him seemed to be egging him forward into something where there was no guarantee of his safety. He didn't like it for it made him feel like he was the one being manipulated rather than the one masterminding the situation.  
  
Well, he determined, no matter what urges he had, he was certain his ingrained sense of self-preservation would give him whatever control he needed to do what was in his best interests. The only problem was the issue over just how much more he wanted to be safe rather than to going after what it was that he wanted.  
  
At the moment, he felt too divided over it to be sure.  
  
"Shigure-san?"  
  
He barely managed to suppress a surprised yelp as the sudden calling of his name startled him out of his thoughts. Settling down as he turned towards the closed door to his room, he wondered how long he'd been sitting there in contemplation after she'd left. However long it was, it had been a sufficient amount of time to make her anxious enough to come and get him.  
  
"Hai," he called out before his silence worried her any further.  
  
"Ano, dinner's getting cold."  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming."  
  
He composed himself, straightening his clothes as he headed towards the entrance. He slid the door open to find her concerned eyes gazing up at him in worry. He sent her a relaxed smile to show her everything was alright and watched as her pretty features eased into a more cheerful expression.  
  
But then her eyes flickered behind him and a puzzled frown touched her lips. He followed her gaze to see that the papers he'd scattered when awakening from his dream were still strewn across the floor and that the interior was completely dark. He'd never turned on the lights!  
  
He turned back to her with an easy expression. "I was taking a nap," he said truthfully. "I messed up my manuscript when I woke up. Don't worry about it, I'll clean it up later."  
  
Tohru's eyes rounded in horror. "Oh, no! It's my fault! Sumimasen!" she exclaimed with a little bow. "If I hadn't woken Shigure-san, then the papers wouldn't have become scattered! And I disturbed Shigure-san's rest when he must have needed it after working so hard too!"  
  
He looked at her in consternation. Obviously, his mind must still be a little foggy. Otherwise he would have known better and chosen something else to say. Ah, well, he thought as he blew out a little breath. It was reassuring to know that there were some things that didn't change.  
  
"Iie," he responded lightly. "Tohru-kun shouldn't worry so much about it."  
  
"But-"  
  
"I don't mind. Really. The mess is nothing since I hadn't gotten much done anyway." Seeing she still wasn't completely convinced, he sighed gustily, placing a hand over his heart. "It's a good thing Tohru-kun came to wake me up. Sleeping is good but it's also important to eat and keep the body healthy. And it would be such a shame to miss one of Tohru-kun's home-cooked meals that I live for. Ah, thinking of it now makes me want to eat right this very moment."  
  
He inhaled deeply, playing up his longing as he pretended to sniff the air for the scent of food. The delicious aroma wafted to him as an unexpected growling noise was heard. He stilled as her eyes dropped to his stomach. He shot her a partially embarrassed half-smile, shrugging his shoulders loosely.  
  
"You see? It's a good thing you came to get me." He came fully out of his room, sliding the door closed on the mess behind him, and began ushering her to where their dinner awaited. "Now, let's eat, shall we?"  
  
"Hai," she said, smiling up at him.  
  
Once they got to the living area where their dinner was placed in full mouth-watering splendor across the low table, Shigure couldn't help but stare as they seated themselves. The amount of rice, fish, and several varieties of pickled dishes was a lot larger than the two of them could eat and he wondered if she'd been subconsciously cooking for four.  
  
She must really miss them, he thought with a bit of annoyance that was out of proportion for the situation. He quickly shook it off.  
  
"Tohru-kun, it's a bit much for just the two of us, ne?"  
  
She turned to him, startled. "Oh, I forgot to mention it! Hatori-san phoned from the station and promised to stop by after he'd taken care of some other errands."  
  
"When was this?" he asked, a little confused. Then he remembered he'd been napping and felt silly when he just realized the reason he hadn't heard the phone ring. "Nevermind," he sighed.  
  
"It was alright for me to invite him to dinner, wasn't it?" She suddenly looked anxious.  
  
"Of course," he was quick to say, despite the niggling bit of disappointment that they wouldn't be alone this first night together like he'd thought. "I'm always happy to see Ha-san." He shot her a teasing look. "And I'm sure Tohru-kun wants to hear all about how Ha-san sent those two off, ne?"  
  
She flushed but nodded in answer.  
  
He'd expected such a response but the flash of irritation he felt took him by surprise. To distract himself, he busied himself with eating and lifted a bit of pickled daikon with his chopsticks and slipped it into his mouth. Its crispy fresh taste seasoned to perfection was testament to her culinary skills that truly were one of his greatest joys in life. Good food always went a long ways towards restoring his mood. Feeling playful, he glanced at her.  
  
"Ah!" he cried. "Tohru-kun's cooking truly is delicious." Chopsticks danced happily in the air as he made a grab for a different pickled dish. "After eating like this for so long, I don't know what I'd do if someone were to steal you away." He winked at her. "Good thing Tohru-kun hasn't fallen in love yet, ne?"  
  
Chopsticks clattered to the table as she fumbled, blushing hard.  
  
He watched with interest and a little surprise as she picked them up, looking extremely uncomfortable. He hadn't expected such an extreme reaction to his playfully posed question. He thought it was unusual and it made him a little confused since, over time, she seemed to have gradually gotten somewhat used to such comments he'd made.  
  
But because her reaction was different this time, it gave him pause and made him wonder...  
  
Had either Yuki or Kyou confessed to her after all?  
  
He hadn't thought so, not after they'd left without putting up a fight. He had no doubt that she'd return the affections of the one who'd confessed first since it was obvious to even a blind person that she had deep feelings for both of them. His own maneuverings had only augmented it. But he'd been sure he'd be able to pick up the signs of her relationship being cemented with one of them.  
  
Had he missed it somehow?  
  
But, thinking back on it, Kyou's cryptic statement to her before he'd left and the conversation between Yuki and Tohru which had been voiced too low for him to hear had implied some sort of intimacy. However, it still didn't answer the question of who it was and, if nothing else, he was one hundred percent positive that she wasn't the type to knowingly string along both Yuki and Kyou.  
  
What if it was someone else?  
  
It was a thought that gave him a little concern but was easily brushed aside. No, he knew very well of Yuki and Kyou's feelings, enough to realize that her interest in someone from school would be hard to hide and that they wouldn't have been able to carry on as usual if it had been true. All evidence boiled down to it being either Yuki or Kyou. Even so, he couldn't help thinking less of them if one of them had established a relationship with her only to be unable to work up the courage to try and fight to remain by her side. It was a flaw in his calculations that he attributed to having his own teenage experiences to draw back on being so far away.  
  
Well, he thought as he watched Tohru with red still flying high on her cheeks, the only way to find out about it was through her. But she still looked so uncomfortable that he decided to approach the topic cautiously.  
  
"So," he began, "Tohru-kun has someone she likes, ne?"  
  
After a long pause, just when he started to think she wouldn't answer, she did. "Hai," she said in a small voice, her blush increasing dramatically.  
  
"Maa," he said lightly, trying to lessen the suddenly heavy atmosphere, "he's lucky to be in a love-love relationship with such a wonderful person."  
  
Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect since she only appeared to become more disheartened, eyes falling to the table as she whispered miserably, "It's impossible right now." Then she jerked, her surprised gaze meeting his briefly as if indicating that she hadn't meant to say such words before glancing away. "Sumimasen. I shouldn't have said something so depressing."  
  
That sorrowful look on her face made him regret prodding her about it in the first place although it confirmed his suspicions that one of the two teens that had lived here until recently had claimed her affections. He felt disgust for whoever it was that had gone off and left her alone, struggling to deal with a long-distance relationship that he didn't feel she deserved.  
  
Darkly, he thought that anyone who made someone as tenderhearted as her go through this had no right at all to her. Her misery was plain to see and he decided to subside from his questioning and causing her any further pain on the matter since it upset her so.  
  
"It's okay," he reassured her. Then, wanting to shake the off the melancholy mood of the room, he sighed dramatically. "But I'm so jealous that someone has such an amazing person to care about him. Oh," he moaned, "if only I could be that lucky! But it must be impossible for me," he finished mournfully.  
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed, eyes widening, as his manipulations proved successful. "That's not true at all!"  
  
She shook her head vigorously, amusing him with her certainty on the matter and how she became so focused on the topic at hand. Having fun, he pressed the play a little further as he slid a glance towards her, putting a hopeful glint into his eye in his best adorable puppy-dog expression.  
  
"Really?" he asked. "Do you really think so?"  
  
She nodded her head as emphatically as she had shaken it. "Of course!"  
  
"And what makes Tohru-kun so certain?"  
  
"Eh?" She blinked at him.  
  
"Why does Tohru-kun think someone could care about me that way?"  
  
Playfulness pushed aside, suddenly, he was intensely interested in hearing her answer to his question. What did she see in him that was worthy of being loved? It was an issue that became important at that moment, for him to know how he deserved another person's affections because it wasn't something he knew how to answer himself. He stared fixedly at her as he waited for her words.  
  
"Well," she tilted her head as she pondered the matter, "because Shigure- san has many wonderful qualities, it's hard to imagine that finding someone to care as difficult."  
  
"Such as," he prompted, "what qualities?"  
  
Her face scrunched as she tried to grasp a way to put it in words. "Well, for one thing, being very smart to be able to write so many books and be such a popular author. Also, having such a good sense of humor. And then there's the ability to read people's minds and hearts so well."  
  
Shigure frowned at that last comment. "Ah, Tohru-kun, I don't really think that's a good quality."  
  
"But it is!" She beamed at him. "I think it's amazing how Shigure-san always seems to know what I'm thinking. It's so mysterious!"  
  
"I see," he said in amusement, torn between equal urges to either sigh heavily or laugh.  
  
"And, also," her face softened, "Shigure-san is very kind. I was extremely happy to be able to live here when I couldn't go anywhere else. I got to stay for the past years even though I'm not a Souma or paying any rent. Shigure-san was very generous to let a stranger live in the house, really a wonderful person."  
  
The warm smile she sent him, full of trust and confidence in him, did something odd, had his heart skipping a beat in a manner wholly uncharacteristic for him. The thought that crossed his mind then was one he'd had off an on in the past, that the truly scary one residing in the house wasn't him.  
  
It was her...because the only times he'd ever even thought of hesitating in his actions, in his plans, was where she was concerned.  
  
The worst of it was that she did it wholly unintentionally as she entrusted herself into his care, unaware that the dark plots surrounding her had been due to him and his machinations. There were times, such as this, when he even felt faint traces of guilt he was unused to feeling. Guilt because of the faith she had in him that he'd done nothing in his opinion to deserve.  
  
Now, he was worried about the unusual emotions she was able to stir in him. He wondered if they would only get worse without Yuki and Kyou to act as buffers in the new living arrangements that left them sharing quarters alone. From the way things stood now, he had the feeling that they were on the precipice of something that could prove monumental and that he would be caught in the middle this time, not just observing from the sidelines as he was normally wont to do. And he wasn't sure he liked that.  
  
Should he accept the changes that threatened to come?  
  
Or should he resist them to the best of his abilities?  
  
He just didn't know. 


	3. Smoke in Your Eyes

AN: A mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents of Japanese:  
  
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context  
  
sumimasen – I'm sorry  
  
iie – no  
  
hai – yes  
  
maa – well  
  
arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much  
  
que sera sera – 'what will be, will be,' not Japanese but it is a phrase Shigure uses in the anime/manga ;P  
  
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CHAPTER 3: Smoke in Your Eyes  
  
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"Ah, Hatori-san. Please, have a seat."  
  
Tohru gestured to the table laden with food where Shigure was still seated, eating with relaxed gusto. And as the doctor took off the ash gray jacket of his suit to get more comfortable and settled himself across from Shigure, Tohru resumed her own place with an inaudible sigh of relief.  
  
After she had answered his question about what she thought of him, Shigure had fallen unusually silent and solemn as if he were thinking of something that troubled him greatly. She worried that a part of what she had said bothered him but, just as she had scrounged up the courage to ask, Hatori had arrived and she had gone to greet him. But now, as Shigure seemed to revert to his usual smiling self, she thought in relief that it must have been her overactive imagination that tended to blow little things way out of proportion from time to time.  
  
"Ha-san!" Shigure gave his friend a cheery wave. "Eat up. You must be tired after dropping off the children. They must have bickered all the way, ne?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
Hatori recalled that his two passengers had been depressingly quiet the entire drive. The gloomy mood that had occupied the interior had been so reminiscent of the joy to be had at a funeral procession and so overwhelmingly oppressive in the enclosed confines of the car that he'd been immensely relieved when he had finally parted with them. Though he sympathized with their plight, it had been their decision to accept Akito's ultimatum so he hoped they would make the best of it in Kyushu.  
  
"Did they seem okay when you saw them off?" asked Tohru anxiously. "Sumimasen. I know Hatori-san already told me before over the phone but-"  
  
"Iie," Hatori was quick to reassure. "It's alright. I know you're concerned about them. But other than being a little depressed over leaving, they were fine. In fact, before they left, Yuki told me to give you a message from the both of them." He smiled as he remembered. "He said to remind you to care of yourself since they're not here to look out for you. Also, that they would call you late tomorrow afternoon so you should stop worrying about them."  
  
The look on Tohru's face softened. "Tomorrow?"  
  
"Hai," Hatori responded. "In the late afternoon."  
  
"I'll be looking forward to it," she said brightly. Then, realizing the talk had forestalled him from starting in on the meal, she hurriedly said, "Sumimasen. I've been keeping Hatori-san from eating after such a long day." She motioned to the array of dishes. "Please, take as much as you like. There's plenty to eat."  
  
Shigure grinned and slid a sly glance at his friend as he began to eat. "Well, Ha-san, how do you like my little flower's cooking? Delicious, ne?" Shigure sighed happily. "And I get to eat like this every day. Oh, Ha- san, you must be jealous, ne?"  
  
Hatori ignored Shigure's teasing while continuing to eat. He glanced at Tohru's direction and saw that she was acting similarly despite the slight blush that tinted her cheeks at Shigure's comments. She'd gotten better at dealing with Shigure's flustering words over the years so that she no longer overreacted to them as she once had.  
  
It was a good thing, Hatori thought, since Shigure's habitual teasing might get worse without Yuki and Kyou around to restrain him if he got out of hand. Tohru would need to be made of strong mettle to put up with him on her own.  
  
To divert the dinner conversation away from Shigure's inane banter, Hatori addressed Tohru. "So what are your plans now? Will you continue to work at the Souma's company?"  
  
Once she had graduated from high school, her part-time job at the Souma's company became full-time. She'd opted not to attend college, unlike most other people her age, in favor of working full-time because of the expense of tuition costs. Her grandfather had offered to help with the tuition if she really desired to go to college but she hadn't wanted to place any financial burden on him. Plus, even if she had wanted to, she didn't think her test scores would have been good enough to gain her entrance into one of the institutions. She was lucky to manage passing through high school. Besides, working was much easier than studying in her opinion so she didn't see how her not attending college was all that terrible.  
  
"For a while," she replied. "But I might be working at a daycare center soon."  
  
"Really?" It was the first Hatori had heard about it.  
  
"Hai," said Shigure, reading the doctor's surprise. "It's a recent development. I only found out about it a few days ago."  
  
Tohru nodded. "One of the women I work with, Matsumoto-san, has a brother who runs a daycare. She only told me recently about a position that might be open soon that she thought I might be interested in. I was, so Matsumoto-san referred me to her brother."  
  
"I see." Hatori frowned. "Isn't it a bit unusual for a daycare to search for employees this close to the start of the school year?"  
  
Daycares in Japan mostly followed the same schedules as academic institutions that began in April and ran through March. Hatori knew from Momiji's excited comments about beginning his last year of high school that the first day of school would begin in a few days. It was unusual for academic institutions or daycares to wait so late in the year to fill in positions. Especially since, by his calculations, that would mean she might start working sometime after the academic school year had already started.  
  
"Hai," Tohru responded. "But Matsumoto-san told me that one of the regular workers is going to have a baby and wants to quit so that she can devote her time to looking after her family. She promised to stay on until her position was filled though."  
  
"Maa," Hatori said. "Congratulations on the new job."  
  
"Eh?" Tohru was surprised. "But I haven't gotten it yet. I only have an appointment for an interview set up. I'm supposed to go in early tomorrow morning."  
  
"Tomorrow?"  
  
"Hai." She smiled reassuringly at Hatori's expression. "It's okay. I'll be back in plenty of time for the phone call from Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun. They knew about the interview; that's probably why they said they'd call later. Besides, Yuki-kun told me before he left that he would want to hear about how my interview went." Then she sighed a little. "But even after the interview, I still might not get the position."  
  
"What position is it for?" Hatori asked.  
  
"Cook."  
  
Hatori exchanged a glance with Shigure. There was no doubt in either of their minds that she was certain to get the job unless the employer was an idiot. But all Hatori said was, "Good luck."  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu." Tohru smiled brightly at his kind words. Then, seeing that they were almost finished eating and thinking that the friends would like to talk without her presence, she excused herself. "Ah, I'll go make some tea and then bring out dessert. Please, take your time."  
  
At the sounds of their assent, she stood and disappeared into the kitchen. Once she was gone and the two men were left at the table to converse in privacy, Hatori glanced at Shigure.  
  
"What's wrong?" Hatori asked without preamble.  
  
"Why, whatever does Ha-san mean?"  
  
"Pretend all you want but I've known you too long for that act to work on me."  
  
"Ah," Shigure sighed. "Ha-san's making mountains out of mole hills again."  
  
"Am I?" He calmly took another bite of daikon. "Then I'd appreciate it if you would stop giving me that look whenever she smiles at me."  
  
After a pregnant pause, Shigure stiffly responded, "I don't know what you mean."  
  
"I see. Maa, it's probably just my imagination again," Hatori said dryly. "You know how outrageous it gets sometimes."  
  
Shigure burst out into startled laughter as the tension that had been building within him over the course of the meal was given temporary relief. As the muscles Shigure hadn't even realized were tensed up relaxed, he was torn between amusement and insult that he wasn't successful in his attempts to conceal what was bothering him. He disliked the idea that he was so transparent when he prided himself on being able to hide his feelings when he wanted to, even from his friends. After all, if friends could be fooled, then enemies were a cinch to deceive.  
  
Plus, it was just plain fun.  
  
Opting to be amused, Shigure smiled at his friend. "How do you know it has anything to do with her?"  
  
Hatori set down his chopsticks, done with eating, as he gave Shigure a look. "Do you mean now or in the general scheme of things?"  
  
"There's a general?" Shigure's voice held a hint of displeasure as his lips tightened.  
  
"Surely you didn't think you were hiding it?"  
  
"Define 'it.'" He was definitely displeased now.  
  
Hatori suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. There were times when Shigure acted as much as a petulant child that Ayame could be and Hatori felt like he was cast into the role of father figure to look after them all. Even adulthood hadn't seemed to change the dynamics of their relationship much as Hatori sometimes wished it would. As the time for this conversation was limited since Tohru would return with refreshments, Hatori opted to quit dancing around the subject and get to the heart of the matter.  
  
"Your feelings for Honda-kun," Hatori said, so bluntly that even Shigure wasn't quick enough to mask his surprise.  
  
Of course, that didn't mean he didn't try.  
  
"Feelings?" There was an edge of desperation to Shigure's short bark of laughter. "What feelings? Surely you don't mean to imply that I'm some sort of dirty old man lusting after young nubile schoolgirls?"  
  
Instead of answering that question, all Hatori said was, "We don't have to talk about it."  
  
That only served to make Shigure say defensively, "It's a natural inclination of any red-blooded male. Perfectly healthy. In fact, not having them would be the unnatural way to go. Ha-san probably has these kinds of fantasies too, ne?" He gave Hatori a sly look. "Ha-san has no right to criticize a man for having perfectly understandable and harmless fantasies about someone of the opposite sex, ne?"  
  
"But I'm not the one living with a young woman under the same roof."  
  
"So what? That doesn't mean I'm going to do anything. Honestly, does everyone around here think I'm a pervert?" He paused. "You know, you don't have to take so long to answer me." He became unreasonably irritated. "I do happen to have some scruples; not that anyone ever gives me any credit for them. Really," he snorted in disgust. "As if I were immoral enough to try taking advantage of an innocent and inexperienced high school girl."  
  
"But Honda-kun's not in high school anymore."  
  
Shigure fell silent as the impact of Hatori's words hit him. It was true. By some standards, Tohru was already considered an adult; especially as she now had to deal with the responsibilities that came with the position, among which included worrying about a full-time job. There were even some girls her age that married right out of high school as they worked on starting their own families. But, whether by conscious or unconscious design, it was something that Shigure had avoided thinking about, wanting to keep at least that as a barrier of protection. Although as to just whom it was supposed to protect, even he wasn't quite sure of the answer anymore.  
  
Unsettled, Shigure glanced at Hatori, wondering where he was intending to go with this conversation and not sure that he'd like the answers. "Ha- san, what are you trying to do here? It almost sounds like you're pushing me towards her." Shigure expression was one of disbelief. "But that can't possibly be it. Surely, you don't think I'm good for her?"  
  
"Certainly not."  
  
"Well, then." Shigure was somewhat irked by that quick response.  
  
"But she's good for you."  
  
Shigure stared, open-mouthed and shocked speechless, not believing what he'd just heard. It was the last thing he'd expected, and to come from Hatori of all people. His staid friend the doctor couldn't possibly be suggesting that he go for it? Well, the only way to find out was to ask which is what Shigure did when he finally managed to get his vocal cords working again.  
  
"Ha-san," he choked out in disbelief, "are you giving me your blessing?"  
  
"Blessing?" Hatori's countenance was one of annoyance. "What do you think I am? A priest?"  
  
"Ha-san!" Shigure's voice was sharp as he was suddenly gripped by a strong desire to know his friend's honest thoughts on the subject. "Just what is it you're saying then?"  
  
Hatori took in Shigure's unusually serious expression then sighed. "I'm not really saying anything in particular. Only that it may not be a completely bad thing."  
  
Shigure considered this. "Why?"  
  
"Because she's changed you, softened you."  
  
"What?" A dozen expressions warred on his face. "Are you saying I've gone soft?"  
  
"I said 'softened,' not soft," Hatori said, exasperated at the distaste evident on Shigure's features. "Don't worry. You're still pretty much a hard bastard over all."  
  
"Ha-san's not very funny." Shigure's gaze narrowed. "And how exactly have I 'softened'?"  
  
Hatori's brows rose. He was amused by Shigure's insulted tone though he knew better than to show it. Still, it was so rare to have Shigure in this position; usually Hatori was the one being tormented by his friend's words. Hatori couldn't help but do a little teasing of his own.  
  
"Do you want me to list them all?"  
  
"All?" Shigure bristled. "That's implying that I've changed a lot. Now I know you've got to be joking."  
  
"Am I?" Hatori's tone was placid. "Then what about smoking?"  
  
Shigure frowned in confusion. "What about it?"  
  
"Haven't you ever noticed how you never smoke when she's around?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"In all the years since she first came here, I've never once seen you smoke in her presence. You always wait until she's left the room or go outdoors."  
  
"You're imagining things."  
  
"Oh? Then name one, just one instance where you've lit up a cigarette while you two were in the same room."  
  
Shigure went blank but he recovered swiftly. "That doesn't prove a thing. What does smoking have anything to do about feeling anything for someone?"  
  
"You smoke around Great-Aunt Aoko and she has asthma."  
  
"So? What do I care? I hate the judgmental old bat. As long as I'm smoking, she keeps her distance."  
  
"And you don't smoke around Honda-kun because you care about whether or not she keeps away."  
  
"What kind of reasoning is that?" Shigure scoffed. "This is what happens when you get a higher education. You take psychology courses and start reading too deeply into things that have no meaning whatsoever."  
  
"Don't they? Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that your feelings aren't serious?"  
  
Shigure glared. "Give me your jacket."  
  
"What?" Hatori was perplexed.  
  
"Don't argue with me. Just hand me your jacket."  
  
Silently, mystified, Hatori handed over his suit jacket that he'd set aside when he'd sat down at the table. But it all became clear as he watched his friend take out a small package and lighter from one of the jacket pockets and proceeded to light a cigarette. Hatori looked on, amused, at the scenario before him as Shigure blew out a stream of smoke towards him and shot him a defiant glare.  
  
"You see?" the dog declared. "There's nothing to it."  
  
"Ah, Shigure-san's smoking?"  
  
Shigure's head jerked and whipped around rapidly to find Tohru standing just a few feet away. He did his best not to look guilty and resisted the urge to immediately stub the cigarette out as he stuttered out a halting, "H-hai."  
  
"I see." She disappeared back into the kitchen but then came back and settled a small ceramic ashtray before him. "Please use this," she told him with a smile. As she gathered the dirty dinnerware, she apologized. "Sumimasen. I'll be a little while longer."  
  
"Take your time," Hatori told her gently.  
  
"Hai." She gave him another bright smile before returning to the kitchen with the dirty dishware.  
  
Shigure glared into Hatori's amused expression. "Don't say another word," he bit out as he stubbed out the butt.  
  
Hatori remained silent and calm, regarding his friend quietly while Shigure's face only seemed to darken more and more with whatever thoughts plagued him as the seconds ticked by. Just when Hatori thought he should break the silence, Shigure did it first.  
  
"I never said I was in love with her!" he suddenly burst out with a low irritated growl.  
  
Hatori arched an eyebrow. "Neither did I." His tone was dry. "If I recall correctly, I believe the word I used was 'feelings.'"  
  
Shigure glared.  
  
Hatori sighed as he gave his friend a serious look. "But if you're not, you're probably close enough to it."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"Because I don't know of any other woman who can make you glare at me like that when she smiles at me." Hatori shook his head. "It's been getting worse lately. Especially the way you react whenever Yuki or Kyou's names are mentioned. Don't worry," Hatori said reassuringly at his friend's expression. "You hide it well for the most part. But I know you well enough to see past the façade you put on for everyone else."  
  
"I don't like it." Shigure grimaced. "Any of it."  
  
"Of course you don't. These types of situations never run easily. Especially for a Souma, and a cursed one at that."  
  
Shigure slid Hatori a curious glance. "Still, it's surprising. I thought you would be one of the first people to warn me off."  
  
"Do you want me to warn you off?"  
  
He thought about it. "I'm not sure."  
  
"Then that means this really is important to you because I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen you unsure." His gaze flickered to the kitchen. "And most of those times have to do with her."  
  
Shigure shrugged, gave a wry smile. "It's not what I was expecting either, you know." His face turned serious. "It won't be easy."  
  
"Few things are."  
  
"She's in love with someone else."  
  
"Ah. Which one? Yuki? Kyou?"  
  
"I don't know. Which do you think?"  
  
"I'm not sure myself. She seems to care about them almost equally that it's hard to tell for certain." Hatori thought back to how the two had been so despondent the last time he'd seen them. "They both seemed equally depressed about leaving when we parted, too. It's obvious that they both care a great deal about her as well." He frowned. "But if one of them had confessed, I'm sure he wouldn't have caved in to Akito's ultimatum so easily. Nothing's been resolved yet in terms of relationships, it seems."  
  
"Maa, those two always were slow about these sorts of things."  
  
"Not how you planned it, is it?"  
  
Shigure shrugged again. "Que sera sera."  
  
"And what about you? I've seldom seen you restrain yourself from going after what you wanted."  
  
Shigure cocked his head. "What's this? Ha-san's not lecturing me and giving me recriminations about stabbing those two in the back?" He gasped in shock. "Ha-san, how immoral of you!"  
  
Hatori shook his head in exasperation, shooting his friend a repressive look. "It's not like that." He huffed. "The past years, those two have had ample opportunity; they lived under the same roof, went to the same school, were in each other's presence constantly. Each had many times to make their move but they both left and now they're far away." He shook his head. "It's ridiculous. Absence and distance makes the heart grow forgetful, not fonder. After several years when they finish college and come back, do they expect things to be the same? That she'll wait around for them that long? It's not realistic, especially if neither one has spoken up yet about their feelings towards her." His face was serious. "There are a lot of men in Japan outside of the Souma family who will take one look at her and go after her. She's excellent wife material and the chances of someone not making a play for her over the next several years aren't very high."  
  
"Sounds like you've thought about it quite a bit." His face was bland, voice neutral.  
  
"Don't look at me like that. Of course I have. I'm sure the same thought has run through the minds of all the other Jyunnishi males at one point or another. It's not very often you find someone like her willing to accept wholeheartedly all the faults that come with a Souma male, curse or no curse."  
  
Shigure mulled it over and nodded. Although the fact didn't overwhelm him with joy, it really wasn't all that surprising a revelation since he'd thought the same a time or two himself. How could he not? He'd seen the way the members of the family had gravitated towards her over the years – even Hiro, though he'd probably deny it to the death if asked.  
  
"What does Aya think? Does he suspect?"  
  
"He's never said anything directly to me, but I'm sure he knows. He's known you as long as I have, after all." Hatori's lips twitched. "Would it really stop you if he disapproved of you going after his little brother's potential girlfriend?"  
  
"Maybe." He smirked. "Probably not."  
  
Hatori nodded, not really expecting any other answer. "Maa, in any case, rest easy. For all that they're siblings, he's closer to you than he is to Yuki. More than likely, he'll remain a neutral, though you'll have to ask him yourself if you really want to know his exact thoughts on this situation."  
  
"I see." He tucked that bit of information away to ponder later.  
  
"So?" questioned Hatori. "What's your course of action now?"  
  
Shigure rolled his eyes. "Please, give me a little time to think. I've been unsettled about what to do up until now. Even a mastermind such as myself needs to recuperate before coming up with a brilliant strategy."  
  
"Time is good," Hatori commented. "But it's also limited. Remember, there are a lot of other men in Japan besides you."  
  
Shigure shot him a dark look. "Ha-san, you're enjoying this way too much."  
  
"Can you really blame me?" Hatori chuckled. "It's not a sight I'm treated to often."  
  
"Ha-san needs to find a woman of his own," Shigure said darkly.  
  
"Perhaps I will." His lips tugged upwards. "Especially if things don't work out between you and Honda-kun."  
  
Shigure's eyes narrowed. "Ha-san," he said warningly. "That's not funny."  
  
"Maybe not." His smile disappeared as he regarded his friend seriously. "But it's true; if not me, then someone else. And do you really want her to fall into the hands of another man?"  
  
No.  
  
The word rang clearly and immediate in Shigure's mind. That, if nothing else, was the one thing he was absolutely sure of and he wasn't about to give her over to anyone else if he could help it. It was like a game, a very important one, and he had no intentions of losing to anyone be it friend, foe, or family.  
  
Mind made up, he began to plan. 


	4. Beginning the Chase

AN: A mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents of Japanese:  
  
hai – yes  
  
maa – well  
  
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context  
  
sumimasen – I'm sorry / excuse me  
  
iie – no  
  
ano – sound of hesitation like saying 'well' or 'um'  
  
arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much  
  
baka – idiot  
  
gomen – sorry  
  
oyasumi / oyasumi nasai – good night  
  
-  
  
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CHAPTER 4: Beginning the Chase  
  
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"Be careful driving back," Tohru said.  
  
They were standing by the door, seeing the doctor off as he departed, and though her expression as she looked at the doctor was sweetly concerned, inside she was feeling much more worried than she let on. After she'd returned to the table with tea and dessert, she had the impression that something significant had happened while she'd been gone though she was at a loss to say exactly what it was. But there was an odd tension in the air and, though she couldn't say why, she had the horrible feeling that it might have to do with her even though she didn't really think she'd done anything out of the ordinary lately. Perhaps it was her overactive imagination working overtime again but she didn't really believe so and it was only making her more worried. She had no solid proof, however, so it wasn't as if she could broach the subject since she didn't even know what the issue at hand was.  
  
"I will," Hatori said. He looked down at her from his taller height, feeling almost regretful for the difficult times ahead that she'd most likely be put through in the wake of Shigure's new resolve. His expression softened. "You take good care of yourself, too."  
  
She blinked, a little surprised, then smiled warmly. "Hai."  
  
Hatori bit back amusement when he saw Shigure shift closer to Tohru, just behind her so she couldn't see the almost warning look on his face that he aimed at the doctor. After their conversation earlier, Shigure had become just as territorial as any dog and was making it clear in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't brook any poaching, not on this, friend or not.  
  
Part of the possessiveness, Hatori was sure, stemmed from insecurity at the uncertainty of the situation and he hoped that things would settle down once everything was finally resolved one way or the other. But, until then, Hatori would enjoy seeing how his normally calm under pressure friend would deal with the same emotional turmoil that he himself had gone through before. Watching Shigure edge a little closer to Tohru, Hatori was positive that it would be entertaining.  
  
"Ha-san, come back again soon." It was obvious he didn't really mean it as Shigure waved good-bye in what looked almost like a shooing manner. "Bye- bye."  
  
Hatori took that as his cue. "Well, then," he said. "I'll be going. See you later."  
  
"Ah," Shigure sighed once Hatori had left. "Alone at last." He turned to her. "Tohru-kun, do you have some time? There's something I want to say to you."  
  
Concerned at the serious expression on his face, she bit her lip. "Hai, what is it?"  
  
"Maa." He tilted his head. "It's not the kind of thing we should discuss in the hallway. We should go back and have a seat, ne?"  
  
With that, he turned, walking back to the living area as she trailed after him, wondering what was going on.  
  
To her, Shigure seemed to have an unusually somber air about him and it made her nervous. She'd been right earlier in thinking something had happened and that, apparently, it had something to do with her. Her heart clenched in fear that she had done something wrong unintentionally to make the normally light-hearted writer act this way, knowing it had to be something big for such a drastic change. After all, Shigure hardly ever asked to speak with her alone. That thought weighed heavily on her as she sat at the table, fidgeting nervously as she apprehensively wondered just what this conversation would hold, mind racing with the possible reasons behind it.  
  
"Shigure-san?" she asked hesitantly. "What did you want to say to me?"  
  
"Tohru-kun." Something flickered across his face that, if she didn't know better, she'd call it nervousness but it was gone too quickly for her to be sure. Suddenly, he let out a sigh and leaned back, giving her a lopsided smile. "It's wonderful, ne? Without so many people around, it's much quieter and pleasant, don't you think?"  
  
"Hai," she replied uncertainly.  
  
She was almost sure that wasn't what he'd been intending to say. Looking at him, she felt positive that whatever it was definitely had something to do with her and it didn't seem very good. Of course, if it involved her in a bad way, it was obvious that he'd have difficulty telling her being the kind person that Shigure was. Whatever it was couldn't be good and, no doubt, Shigure was hesitating because he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Suddenly she straightened, eyes widening in horror as the meaning of his words sunk in and she realized what it was that he was probably trying to say.  
  
"Sumimasen!" Tohru cried, bowing deeply in apology. "I'll move out right away!"  
  
"Eh?!" Shigure let out a surprised cry of his own, eyes wide with surprise. "What did you say?"  
  
"Sumimasen," she repeated miserably, head bowed. "Shigure-san should have said something sooner. Iie," she said, shaking her head, "I should have realized it myself."  
  
"Eh?" Shigure's face was blank. "Tohru-kun, what are you talking about?"  
  
"I'm being such a burden." Her shoulders slumped. "After living so many years with a bunch of teenagers, Shigure-san must have been looking forward to having the house back to himself." Her expression saddened. "But even after all of us graduated, only Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun moved out and here I am, still taking advantage of Shigure-san's kindness when he was wants to be alone."  
  
"Ano, Tohru-kun." So that was what this was about? He scratched his head. "It's really not like that."  
  
"Iie. Shigure-san's just too nice and probably has a difficult time telling me he doesn't want me here." She shook her head. "I was so silly not to realize until now. No wonder Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun seemed so worried about me staying here when they left."  
  
"Maa." A strange expression flitted across his face. "I'm pretty sure that had to do with something else."  
  
But Tohru looked doubtful. "I really should stop imposing myself now that I can work full-time. I can make enough to support myself and get a place of my own." Her eyes teared at the thought of leaving but she didn't want to cause trouble by staying. "After all Shigure-san and the other Soumas have done for me, I shouldn't take advantage anymore."  
  
"Ano, Tohru-kun," Shigure tried to interrupt.  
  
Only Tohru continued on as if she hadn't heard. "That's right! I can start looking for an apartment tomorrow. Maybe Uo-chan and Hana-chan will know someplace."  
  
"Tohru-kun-"  
  
"But wherever it is will be okay, I'm sure," she continued, distress written on her features as her words seemed to pick up speed. "I just don't want to be any more of a bother than I already have been so I'll pick the first place that looks good. Then, if Shigure-san doesn't mind waiting just a little, pretty soon I'll be gone-"  
  
"Tohru-kun!"  
  
She bit back a startled gasp at the sharp exclamation, staring with wide eyes back into Shigure's features that, for a moment, seemed almost dark and furious. But with a blink, the lines of his face smoothed into a calm but serious expression and she wondered if she'd just imagined it. However, she thought no more of it as Shigure's attention seemed to focus on her intensely, imparting the importance of what he was saying with his next words as they vibrated with some undercurrent of emotion that she wasn't familiar with.  
  
"Tohru-kun." His voice was softer this time. "I don't want you to leave."  
  
Her heart stuttered oddly as she blushed. "Really?"  
  
"Hai." A little smile crooked the corners of his mouth. "Really."  
  
"Then," she looked up at him earnestly, "Shigure-san doesn't think I'm a burden?" She bit her lip nervously. "I really don't want to take advantage of Shigure-san's kindness and staying if I'm not needed."  
  
"Tohru-kun." There was an odd expression on his face she couldn't make out. "I can honestly say that you're not taking advantage of anyone by staying here." Suddenly he brightened with his usual light-heartedness. "Since I don't cook and am absolutely terrible at cleaning things, I really don't know what I'd do if Tohru-kun were to suddenly leave. Why, I'd probably starve to death!" He looked at her mournfully. "Tohru-kun wouldn't leave me alone like that, would she?"  
  
"Of course not!" she exclaimed immediately. Then she glanced at him hesitantly. "So it's okay for me to stay?"  
  
"Oh, definitely." He nodded emphatically then smiled. "I never thought of you leaving in the first place."  
  
"Ah." She blushed, looking chastened. "Sumimasen. I jumped to conclusions again and got too worked up."  
  
"Don't worry about it." He waved a dismissing hand.  
  
She relaxed finally but then puzzlement crossed her features. "But if that's not what Shigure-san wanted to say to me, then what else was it?"  
  
Shigure froze. "Ah. Maa." His gaze flickered around the room briefly before settling on hers in a serious manner. "Tohru-kun."  
  
"Hai?" Her look was expectant, though a bit hesitant.  
  
"Tohru-kun." He face was intent. "Good luck on your interview tomorrow." He broke into a cheery smile. "I think you'll get the position but, just in case I don't get up early enough tomorrow to tell you before you leave, I wanted to say it now."  
  
Her expression cleared. "Arigatou gozaimasu." She smiled at him. "I'll do my best."  
  
"Hai. I'm sure you will."  
  
"Then if that's all," she cocked her head questioningly, "I still have some dishes I need to clean."  
  
"Of course," he said. "Go right ahead. I've got some things to take care of, too."  
  
He waited until she was gone before dropping his smiling mask and heaved a tired, frustrated sigh, wondering how he'd gone so wrong and in such a short amount of time, too.  
  
-  
  
Hours later, as he tossed and turned fruitlessly in his failed efforts to get some sleep, he still couldn't come up with an answer. So much for his brilliant mastermind which had yielded nothing so far –  
  
Except to make him feel even worse than he had before!  
  
His first plan of attack to get it over with and confess straightforwardly in a manner that she couldn't possibly misunderstand had been a dismal failure. He'd dilly-dallied so long that she'd jumped to that erroneous conclusion that he'd wanted her to leave.  
  
He shuddered remembering his shock at her announcement that she was leaving and the unusual feelings of fear and horror that had swamped him until he realized why she'd said it. Then, there had been an acute sense of relief that was almost as alien as the rest of the emotions he'd felt. He'd been so unsettled and sidetracked from his original intent that he'd been thrown once again when she'd brought up the issue again of what it was he wanted to talk to her about. He snorted in disgust at how he'd chickened out and switched to wishing her luck on her interview.  
  
He'd never realized that confessing emotions could be so difficult.  
  
Much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to understand a little better why Yuki and Kyou seemed to have left without saying anything. He'd already had second thoughts about the hasty plan that he'd tossed together on the spot after talking to Hatori. He thought it would be so simple after coming to grips with what he felt that he could deal with it quickly by telling her and getting it over with. But, though he was certain of his appeal and that her kind-hearted nature would work to his advantage, uneasiness still gripped him over the fear that she would refuse or, worse yet, be disgusted.  
  
Oh, he knew she would never say anything outright but there was that niggling bit of doubt within him that wondered how she could not be disgusted with him if she knew what he was really like.  
  
Just like he was disgusted.  
  
More worries had crowded his mind and continued to plague him, making him rethink his pursuit. After all, what right did he have to her? She'd been so worried about being the one taking advantage when it was the opposite way around with him, horrible person that he was, benefiting from this arrangement that he had skillfully manipulated her into without her awareness. It just showed how undeserving he was of her.  
  
Even Hatori had admitted that he wasn't good for her.  
  
And that was the truth.  
  
Shigure knew he was a conniving, lying, selfish bastard and he felt the taint even more now that he was contemplating the pursuit of someone so utterly opposite and pure. For thinking of pursuing and sullying such goodness, he was surely the lowest of the low. He really should give her up, let her find her happiness with someone who deserved her, even if it was one of the other Soumas.  
  
But he was selfish and didn't want to.  
  
Shigure scowled into the darkness, hating this internal conflict he wasn't used to but was, unfortunately, becoming all too familiar with lately. It was twisting him around, making him feel so unlike himself. The way he worried about her, placing her above his own self at times, was just so discomfiting. Especially when it was apparently something he was even doing unconsciously such as that thing Hatori had revealed about the smoking, something that Shigure had never realized he'd been doing.  
  
And to think he'd always prided himself for being aware of all things pertaining to him only to have someone else realize something about him that he hadn't even known!  
  
Hatori had mentioned other things as well, which had him anxious about just how much he'd changed that he wasn't aware of. He shook his head at the way things were turning out. Doing so many respectable things, thinking of backing off from something he wanted because it was probably the right thing to do. He was turning into something he thought he'd never be, someone responsible, one of those people who constantly worried about little things that didn't even benefit themselves.  
  
He was turning into Hatori!  
  
At that terrifying thought, Shigure shuddered and got out of bed. He was wide-awake, far from sleep, and only becoming more and more confused to the point where he wasn't sure of whom he was anymore. It was horrible feeling this way and he needed someone to talk it over with who could shed some light on the subject so that he didn't feel this way anymore.  
  
And he knew just the person who could help.  
  
-  
  
"Hello?"  
  
At the sound of the groggy voice, Shigure smiled into the telephone. "Ha- san! It's me!"  
  
"Shigure?" He sounded more alert, and also annoyed. "It's three in the morning. You'd better have a good reason for calling me."  
  
"Ah," Shigure laughed. "I don't really know if it's a good one."  
  
Click.  
  
Shigure shook his head and redialed. Once he heard the sound signaling that the other end had been picked up, he whined, "Ha-san!"  
  
Click.  
  
Determined, and having a bit of fun now, Shigure dialed again. "You know," Shigure said when Hatori had picked up again, "I'm only going to keep doing this until you listen to me."  
  
There was a heavy sigh on the other end before he heard Hatori ask, "So what is it?"  
  
"Ha-san should take me more seriously," Shigure pouted playfully. "Hanging up like that so suddenly, what if it had been an emergency?"  
  
"If it were," Hatori said plainly, "then you wouldn't have sounded so cheerful."  
  
"Maa, I suppose that's true."  
  
"So, why the early morning wake-up call?"  
  
Shigure paused. Now that he had someone to talk to, he didn't know quite where to begin.  
  
"Shigure?" There was a touch of concern now in Hatori's voice.  
  
"Ne, Ha-san." Shigure's tone was completely serious now. "Don't you think it would be better if I just gave up on this?"  
  
"This?" Hatori asked softly. "You mean Honda-kun?"  
  
"Ha-san," Shigure said glumly, "you know what I'm like. I don't deserve her."  
  
"Speaking from personal experience, it's usual for men in love to feel that way. Whatever you may think, it's my opinion that you're off to a good start in that alone." There was brief pause. "But what brought on this bout of doubt? You seemed pretty determined when I left."  
  
Grimacing, Shigure told him what had happened. Despite his painful embarrassment, he forged onwards, hoping his friend would be able to impart some words of wisdom on the subject that he was having such difficulty with.  
  
Instead, what he got was a soft chuckle in his ear.  
  
"I would have enjoyed seeing that." There was definitely amusement lacing his tone.  
  
"Ha-san!" Shigure was irritated. "It's not a laughing matter."  
  
"But it is. It really must be love if it's addling your wits so much that you come up with that as your first plan of attack. And to fail in following it through, too." Hatori chuckled again. "Definitely not what I expected of you."  
  
"Why not?" he asked crossly.  
  
"You're usually more subtle when it comes to these types of things."  
  
"Do you really think Tohru-kun is the kind of person to pick up subtle nuances?"  
  
"Maa, sometimes." He sighed. "But probably not in this situation though. Look at how long she's gone without realizing the boys' feelings. And when they spent all that time together, too."  
  
"See?" Shigure commented, a bit irritated with the mention of Yuki and Kyou again. "It was a good plan."  
  
"Hai, in theory." Hatori's tone was dry. "But if it really was a good plan then it would have been successful, ne?"  
  
To that, Shigure had no comeback.  
  
"Shigure, I never thought I'd be the one to say this to you but," he chuckled a little, "don't push yourself."  
  
"You think I'm trying too hard?"  
  
"Hai. Going for such a direct approach is completely unlike you. It seems almost as if you're forcing yourself to be the absolute opposite of the boys and how they waffled around on this."  
  
"Not so opposite, it seems," Shigure said wryly. "After all, I wasn't able to come clean with her either."  
  
"Did you really expect to? Now that you've had more time to think about it, do you think you'd attempt the same thing again?"  
  
"Iie." Shigure shook his head. "I suppose not."  
  
"You rushed yourself, didn't give yourself enough time to settle with everything our conversation brought up. Shigure," Hatori's voice was solemn, "go at your own pace. You don't have to be Yuki or Kyou, you don't have to be their opposite. Just be yourself."  
  
"Myself?" He gave a short bark of laughter, a harsh sound. "Ha-san, do you think that's such a good idea?" His face grew dark. "If she knew what I was truly like, do you really think she'd stay?"  
  
"And that's the heart of the matter, isn't it? You're worried that she won't like you when she sees those bits of you that you keep concealed from people."  
  
"Ha-san, you don't understand." Shigure was frustrated. "Even you don't know everything about what I'm really like."  
  
"Maybe not." Hatori's voice was calm. "But I have a better idea than you give me credit for. But, that aside," he paused, "do you think you'll be satisfied if she comes to you without knowing what you're really like?"  
  
Shigure thought about it, honestly thought about it then shook his head. "Iie."  
  
"I didn't think so." Hatori's voice softened. "Don't over think it so much. It's understandable to be uneasy over showing the one you care about your faults, natural to want someone to see only the good about you. But I also think that Honda-kun is more intuitive than you give her credit for and may know more about you than you realize, whether she herself is conscious of it or not."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's only a feeling I have, nothing certain. But you might not have to worry about hiding or revealing those aspects of yourself that bother you as much as you think."  
  
"How very vague." Humor returned to him as he became more relaxed. "Ha- san, I was expecting more from you, big love expert that you are."  
  
"Don't call me that." Hatori's tone was annoyed.  
  
Shigure laughed. "So? Any more expert advice you wish to impart?"  
  
Hatori was quiet for a while before he said, "It might be easier to keep in mind that, though Honda-kun isn't just any woman to you, she's still a woman."  
  
Shigure blinked blankly. "What kind of advice is that?"  
  
"Baka." There was distinct exasperation in his tone. "You were always more popular with the opposite sex than me and if you need me to spell it out any clearer, then maybe you are better off giving up. Now figure it out yourself and let me get some sleep."  
  
Click.  
  
Shigure frowned at the receiver, tempted to call back just to be annoying but knowing better than to press his luck.  
  
Besides, he did understand what Hatori was saying and could have kicked himself for not realizing it sooner. He was still treating her as the untouchable high schooler with an oddly unique position in the house who he wanted but had to keep his hands off of for fear of having her protectors or the law slap him upside the head or worse. But, as Hatori had said earlier, she wasn't in high school anymore and things were different now. No erstwhile protectors around and with her of legal age...he was free to go beyond the usual light flirting that had always been interrupted by someone or something in the past.  
  
He could treat her as a woman.  
  
For certain, that would set him apart from the way the rest of the family treated her as a friend, substitute mother figure, or damsel in distress that needed to be watched over like one would a child. Since his own actions towards her had fallen mostly in tune with the latter, Shigure realized that it was time for a change. After all, if he wanted her to see him differently, then he should act differently as well so that she'd stop viewing him as a guardian type figure and look to him as a man, an easy enough task for someone with his experience.  
  
Feeling a confidence he'd been without for a while, he was thrown off when he suddenly found himself in front of Tohru's bedroom, which hadn't been his intended destination. Though he was a bit alarmed at how his subconscious had guided him here while he'd been in the midst of pondering his next moves, he quickly shook it off.  
  
Then he frowned when he realized that her door wasn't completely shut, shaking his head at how absentminded she still was over this despite the numerous lectures he'd heard her receive from Yuki and Kyou about the dangers of such carelessness. Telling himself that he was just checking up on her to see that she hadn't met any of the repercussions that could result from such carelessness, Shigure slowly and silently pushed open the door.  
  
He could count on one hand the number of times he'd been in this room and he found himself uncharacteristically nervous as he invaded the feminine sanctuary which was dominated by its occupant sprawled across the big pink bed that he'd bought her a few years ago and had been a reoccurring star in some of his fevered dreams. Remembrances of those dreams plagued him as he stared down at her, taking in her slumbering features and how the comforter that was sliding off, no doubt kicked aside in sleep due to the warmth of the room, revealing the very female curves that the light pajamas she was wearing did little to hide as the material seemed to mold itself to her flesh like a second skin. Though she wouldn't be called beautiful by most standards, at that moment while she was bathed in moonlight streaming in through the window, in his eyes, she was all that and more and, unexpectedly, he felt his heart stutter.  
  
Unable to resist, he leaned down, pausing when his lips were a hairsbreadth away from hers. Then he moved upwards and brushed a soft kiss against her forehead. Though the temptation was there to steal a kiss, he didn't want the first one between them to be while she was unconscious.  
  
Chiding himself for these odd scruples he was developing, nonetheless he drew away from her and straightened.  
  
And nearly had a heart attack when she opened her eyes.  
  
"Shigure-san?" she questioned sleepily.  
  
Frozen, Shigure looked back with wide eyes. "H-hai?" he stuttered stupidly.  
  
She sat up groggily, looking around in confusion. "Why is Shigure-san in my room?"  
  
A very good question and Shigure sweated as he tried to come up with an answer. "Maa," he said tensely, scratching his head. "You know, I think I was sleepwalking and somehow ended up here."  
  
"Oh." Her expression cleared, becoming concerned. "That sounds dangerous. Shigure-san should be more careful."  
  
He laughed nervously, barely believing that his lame explanation had been accepted so easily. "I'll keep that in mind."  
  
"I don't know much about this but is there anything I can do?" She looked up at him anxiously. "Maybe you need something to eat or-"  
  
"Iie," he said, waving her back when she made motions to get out of bed. He was feeling that unusual emotion of guilt again, this time over having woken her up when she was supposed to get up in a few hours for her interview. He sent her an apologetic look. "Gomen, Tohru-kun. I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." He faked a wide yawn. "I'm feeling really tired so I'll be heading back to bed anyway."  
  
Her expression was uncertain. "So everything's alright?"  
  
"Hai." His gaze was gentle, voice low. "Go back to sleep."  
  
"Oyasumi nasai," she said softly, settling back into bed and closing her eyes.  
  
"Oyasumi," he returned quietly as he heard her breathing relax as sleep claimed her once again.  
  
Outside of her room, he took a deep breath and exhaled in relief at his narrow escape, rubbing the back of his neck which was beginning to ache from all the recent emotional strain he'd been put through. Finally feeling tired enough to sleep, he headed back for his room and prayed fervently that things would be easier, especially on his nerves, when he woke up and he began his pursuit of her with his new resolve in earnest.  
  
But, in light of recent events, he had serious doubts that it would. 


	5. Trouble Times Two

AN: A mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents of Japanese:  
  
sumimasen – I'm sorry / excuse me  
  
arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much  
  
maa – well  
  
ano – sound of hesitation like saying 'well' or 'um'  
  
iie – no  
  
hajimemashite/doozo yoroshiku – pleased to meet you  
  
onee-chan – big sister  
  
gomenasai – I'm sorry  
  
Kami-sama - God  
  
hai – yes  
  
sayonara – good-bye  
  
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context  
  
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CHAPTER 5: Trouble Times Two  
  
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He walked, searching, knowing it was around somewhere nearby. But having had little need in the past for a daycare center, he'd never really taken note of the location of such establishments in the area before. Places to get food, now those he knew like the back of his hand but places where kids were stored for the day was something completely beyond his realm of experience. At this rate, he'd still be wandering around aimlessly by the time night fell!  
  
Finally, having had enough of the fruitless searching, he decided to try another approach. He stopped an old woman passing by on the street in the hopes that she might know where the daycare center was. But he flushed under the old woman's gaze.  
  
"Of course I know." The expression on her face declared him an idiot as she pointed directly behind him. "It's right over there. How could you miss it?"  
  
"Ah, sumimasen." He laughed nervously as the old woman started walking away. "Arigatou gozaimasu."  
  
He sighed when she left, wondering how he could have missed it. But the answer was obvious as the nameplate on the wall surrounding the grounds of the daycare center was partially concealed by a leafy bush. Still, he couldn't believe how he'd walked by the same spot several times and not notice.  
  
Maybe he was as stupid as the old woman thought he was.  
  
Suddenly he heard laughter, feminine and familiar. The delightful sound drew him closer to the wall, towards the entrance leading into the daycare center's grounds. He paused just outside, staring in surprise at his first glimpse of her since the debacle in her bedroom last night as he took in the sight of her looking much more adult than he'd ever seen her before in black pumps, calf-length black skirt, and a long red knit-top that gently hugged her curves and was cinched at the waist by a fashionable black belt. With her hair pulled back in tidy bun, showing off the simple gold chain necklace and earring studs she wore, she looked very professional, making him feel almost dowdy in the casual yukata he usually wore. Combined with her bright smile, she presented a beautiful sight.  
  
He would have enjoyed it more were it not for the handsome man standing beside her.  
  
As he watched, the man said something that earned a small laugh from her in a way that had his gut twisting as he wondered what the hell was going on and just what was it that was said to amuse her so. When the unidentified male looked down at her, obviously captivated, Shigure couldn't stand just watching any longer and approached, schooling his features into a friendly mask despite the hostile emotions swirling within him.  
  
"Tohru-kun?" Shigure inquired pleasantly.  
  
"Oh!" Tohru exclaimed upon spotting him, eyes rounding with surprise. "What's Shigure-san doing here?"  
  
"Maa," he gave her a sheepish grin, "I was in the area so I thought I'd stop by and maybe see how your interview went."  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu." She beamed at him brightly, obviously touched by his thoughtfulness. "But Shigure-san really didn't need to go through the trouble of doing that."  
  
"Don't worry." He smiled down at her. "It was no trouble at all."  
  
"Ano, Honda-san?" the man beside broke in politely as he glanced between them curiously. "Who's this?"  
  
"Ah, sumimasen," she apologized. "I should have made introductions earlier instead of just continuing to talk." She looked remorseful.  
  
"Iie," the man was quick to reassure readily. "I don't mind. Really."  
  
She gave him a tiny smile, lightening her features prettily in a way that Shigure didn't like considering the handsome stranger to whom it was directed towards, grateful for his reassurance. Shigure liked it even less when the man smiled back, obviously quite taken with her. He felt his body tense although he kept a friendly mask as Tohru gestured between the two men.  
  
"Shigure-san, this is Matsumoto Sanosuke-san, one of the workers here. Matsumoto-san, this is Souma Shigure-san." She smiled. "Shigure-san's a wonderful writer."  
  
"Hajimemashite," greeted Sanosuke, bowing.  
  
"Doozo yoroshiku," returned Shigure.  
  
"So, you're a writer?" Sanoske asked, straightening as his gaze flickered curiously between the two. "How is it that you know Honda-san? Are you related? A cousin perhaps?"  
  
"Oh, no," Shigure said blithely. "We just live together."  
  
He smiled as the man gasped, obviously shocked at his blunt phrasing and the implications it held, and was momentarily pleased with the reaction. After all, Sanosuke's questions had been nosy and none of his business in Shigure's opinion, especially when the other man's interest in her was plain to see. And the surest way to get rid of a potential rival was to make the desired object seem unavailable and this guy had 'potential' written all over him with the way he had been digging, polite though it was, for information about his and Tohru's relationship...which didn't currently exist.  
  
But Sanosuke didn't know that!  
  
Though it would have please him to no end to have another rival immediately drop away, Shigure just couldn't leave things hanging as they were. At least, not with Tohru's wide eyes trained upon him anxiously as his words had the potential to cost her the job that he knew she was eager to take up.  
  
"I'm her landlord, when I'm not writing, that is," Shigure improvised easily, righting the wrong impression he'd made. "We live in the same building," he expounded, "so of course, it's just like living together."  
  
"Oh." Sanosuke believed it easily. "I see."  
  
Tohru just blinked, not sure how to take it all.  
  
But she was saved from having to give any response as a tug on her skirt and a questioning "Onee-chan?" grabbed everyone's attention.  
  
Surprised, Shigure looked down to see a young boy, perhaps around eight years old, step out from behind Tohru. He hadn't even noticed the boy until he spoke up but, from the hostile glare the youngster was shooting him, it was obvious the reverse did not hold true.  
  
The boy didn't like Shigure.  
  
That much was pretty clear judging from the get-lost-or-die expression the child was gracing him with. However, the reasons behind the belligerent look wasn't.  
  
"Gomenasai," Tohru apologized to the boy, a mixture of embarrassment and distress written on her features. "I should have introduced you too."  
  
"Iie, Honda-san," said Sanosuke. "If anyone, I should have been the one to do that."  
  
"That's right," piped the boy. "If he didn't, then you don't have to worry about it. Of all the people to forget about me, it's a lot worse when it's him."  
  
Sanosuke gave an embarrassed chuckle. "How true, how true."  
  
"So who is this little fellow?" broke in Shigure, earning him another glare from the boy.  
  
"Ah, this is Daichi," said Sanosuke, shifting closer to the boy to lay a hand on his shoulder in a gesture that, incidentally, also moved him nearer to Tohru. "He's my son."  
  
"Son?" Shigure was surprised but pleased as he noticed for the first time the gold wedding band on Sanosuke's hand. Discovering that he was married and had a child as well put him in a better frame of mind and he smiled engagingly at the boy. "Now that you mention it, I see the resemblance. A fine boy, he seems too."  
  
"Oh, he is," Tohru chimed in enthusiastically, earning a curious stare from Shigure and a pleased but embarrassed one from Daichi. "He's a wonderful boy," she said to Sanosuke. "You should be very proud to have him."  
  
"When you say it, I am." He smiled warmly at Tohru, much to Shigure's displeasure. But no one took note of it as Sanosuke dropped his gaze to his son. "He's actually quite hard to get along with but it's amazing how well you've dealt with each other in such a short amount of time. He normally doesn't take to strange people so easily."  
  
"Dad," Daichi grumbled, obviously not liking his father divulging that little piece of information. "It's rude to talk about someone like that, especially when they can hear you."  
  
Sanosuke just sighed. "See what I mean?"  
  
Indeed, Shigure did though he was wise enough to keep silent on the topic even though it was apparent that Daichi's hostile nature was much like Hiro's. Definitely hard to handle but, somehow, in a short amount of time Tohru had managed to win the little boy's adoration to the point where he called her 'onee-chan' so affectionately. Shigure couldn't help but wonder just what had happened to cause all of this but it would be somewhat rude to ask so he kept silent, knowing he'd be able to get the answer from Tohru easily enough once they were alone.  
  
"Iie," Tohru was saying. "I disagree. Daichi-san is a wonderful person to talk to."  
  
"Onee-chan." Though blushing somewhat, he had a determined expression on his features as he looked up at her. "What did we agree on earlier?"  
  
"Ah." Tohru pinkened. "Daichi-kun?"  
  
Daichi frowned.  
  
"Daichi?"  
  
Daichi smiled. "See? That wasn't so hard."  
  
Tohru just laughed, looking chastised.  
  
"Daichi!" Sanosuke frowned at his son, embarrassed. Then he gave Tohru an apologetic glance. "Gomenasai. He's too difficult sometimes."  
  
"Iie." Tohru waved the apology away. "He's charming, really."  
  
Observing the interaction, Shigure thought that charming was not the way to describe the boy, not with the way the tiny interloper was ingratiating himself with Tohru in a manner that he, for some strange reason, found unusually threatening. And, as if picking up on Shigure's uncharitable thoughts, Daichi aimed a glare at him.  
  
No, the boy definitely didn't like him.  
  
Actually, Daichi seemed to dislike Shigure as much as he obviously adored Tohru. Shigure had excellent instincts and they were presently telling him that this new complication in pint-sized form had the potential to make things very messy.  
  
"Tohru-kun," Shigure said, deeming it wise to make a departure. "If you're finished here for today, I can walk back with you."  
  
"Eh?" Surprise and what he hoped was a bit of pleasure bloomed across her face. But she turned to look at Sanosuke. "Well-"  
  
"Go ahead," Sanosuke told her. "We're done for today."  
  
"Ah, then-" She broke off suddenly, eyes widening. "Oh, I forgot my purse!" She looked embarrassed. "Sumismasen. I should go look for it." She frowned. "I wonder where I put it."  
  
"Onee-chan," Daichi spoke up. "I think you left it out back where we were talking." He looked remorseful. "I should have said something earlier."  
  
"Iie." Tohru gave him a quick, forgiving smile. "It's my fault for leaving it in the first place. I'll just run around to the back and get it. I'll be quick so everyone, please, just excuse me for a moment and wait here."  
  
She left before giving anyone a chance to protest.  
  
An uncomfortable silence descended upon the three males left behind and Shigure inwardly sighed at having to deal with it. Still, he did his best to be friendly which was actually easy to pull off with Sanosuke who reminded him somewhat of Yuki, except more open and easygoing towards others. Daichi, on the other hand, was like a hostile little Hiro and would be harder to win over though Shigure gave it his best effort, making pleasant chitchat until the boy, apparently having had enough of it, made things even more uncomfortable.  
  
"Are you her boyfriend?" Daichi asked suddenly, aggravatingly.  
  
"Daichi!" Sanosuke gasped horrified, though it was obvious that he was curious as to what the answer might be too.  
  
Though a bit taken aback at the sudden turn of conversation, Shigure was quick to recover and smiled in a friendly manner at the boy. He even crouched down so that he was nearly eye level with Daichi, trying to make himself as unthreatening and approachable as possible to worm into his good graces. After all, Tohru was taken with Daichi, and vice versa, so it would probably benefit Shigure if he and the boy were on better terms.  
  
"No, I'm not," he said truthfully.  
  
Though the thought did cross his mind that he could have replied in the affirmative and turn away a potential rival. Just because the man was married didn't mean he didn't go chasing after other women and the obvious interest he displayed towards Tohru certainly did bother Shigure. However, he didn't trust the boy to keep his mouth shut and suspected that he'd run to Tohru with the tidbit, no doubt asking her if it were true. Shigure didn't want to risk it and had no desire to be caught in a lie, not on this, not with Tohru.  
  
And so he stuck to the truth.  
  
"But you want to be, don't you?" Daichi asked belligerently, immune to the waves of friendliness Shigure was trying to emit.  
  
Shigure really didn't like that boy.  
  
Fortunately, he was forestalled from having to give a reply as Tohru came rushing up a little breathlessly, clutching her found purse in her hand. She gave everyone another apologetic smile as she came to a stop beside the trio of males.  
  
"Sumimasen," she said. "I hope I didn't keep everyone waiting too long." She looked at them curiously, picking up on some odd tension in the air. "I hope everyone got along alright."  
  
"Oh, fine, just fine," Sanosuke laughed a touch nervously.  
  
Shigure just smiled and shrugged.  
  
"Onee-chan." Daichi sidled closer to her until he was practically leaning against her leg, glaring at Shigure. "Onee-chan, you should be careful. That guy's dangerous."  
  
Shigure changed his mind –  
  
He hated that boy.  
  
"Daichi!" Sanosuke looked horrified.  
  
Tohru just blinked, surprised. Then she laughed, trying to break the uncomfortable silence that fell on the group. "Iie," Tohru said lightly to Daichi. "Shigure-san's really very kind. If you got to know him a little bit better-"  
  
"He really is a bad person," Daichi broke in insistently. He gave Shigure a suspicious look. "He's got those shifty eyes like those bad guys on TV anime."  
  
"Daichi," went Sanosuke, voice coming out in a strangled sound. "You're being very rude. You should apologize to Souma-san."  
  
"Iie." Shigure waved his hands in a dismissive manner. "Apologies aren't necessary. After all, he's right." His tone was light, joking, as if he were playing along to some game. "I'm a very, very bad man."  
  
He smiled cheerfully, as if it were all some great fun. It had Sanosuke and Tohru relaxing to see that he wasn't insulted and, what's more, making a game out of it and lightening what would have been a tense and awkward situation. Daichi, however, seemed to pick up on something that the other two didn't as he only became more wary and gave Shigure a hard stare, not buying the act that pulled off easily despite the strong urge he had to tan the boy's hide. That or bare his teeth and growl like any dog defending his territory, and the little boy was certainly challenging it, much to Shigure's frustration.  
  
After all, he could hardly let loose the way he wanted to on someone his age and stay in Tohru's good graces, which was something he wanted badly. Besides, it was a matter of pride as it would be an intensely shameful thing if a man of his experience and intelligence were to lose in this skirmish to a little boy!  
  
"See? He admits it," Daichi self-righteously claimed.  
  
While Sanosuke and Tohru momentarily froze, unsure what to say next, Daichi kept his glare trained on Shigure as he moved to stand in front of Tohru in an almost protective gesture. Shigure thought it was almost amusing and even admirable in a tiny-white-knight-comes-to-rescue-damsel type of way as he watched Daichi cross his arms, facing off against him in an aggressive stance.  
  
"He's probably some kind of pervert," Daichi proclaimed scathingly.  
  
At that, a muscle ticked unpleasantly in his clenched jaw but Shigure kept smiling, kept being friendly. The thought briefly crossed his mind that Kami-sama was somehow punishing him by making things more difficult on the road of romance. After all, just when he thought he was free of hearing himself labeled a pervert with Yuki and Kyou sent somewhere far away from him and Tohru, Daichi pops up with his father, who showed an uncomfortable amount of interest in her, as if to take their place in getting in his way.  
  
What were the odds?  
  
"It's alright," Shigure said in the face of Sanosuke and Tohru's horror. "It's somewhat nostalgic in a way. Ah, Kyou-kun, Yuki-kun!" he exclaimed dramatically. "Just when I was wondering what to do without you and the insults you bombarded me with, the answer comes in this," he glanced down at Daichi, "little bundle of joy."  
  
Shigure's easygoing smile widened as he stared down at Daichi. It was a gesture that reassured Sanosuke and Tohru that he wasn't insulted but Daichi, being more intuitive than they were in this instance, took it as the warning that it was. But instead of backing down, Daichi merely tilted his chin up more defiantly.  
  
"I'm not afraid of you!" he said assertively.  
  
Daichi frowned forbiddingly which, coming from a little boy, probably wasn't quite as forbidding an expression as he wanted. Shigure found himself amused at how he was being confronted so aggressively with a strange boy less than half his size.  
  
"I won't let you take advantage of Onee-chan!" Daichi cried. "Who knows what you're planning on doing to her?"  
  
At that, Shigure was caught between irritation and a bit of respect. Irritation at how Daichi was dragging out into the open the things that he was thinking of, intentionally or not. Respect was for how Daichi seemed to grasp what lay beneath the surface of his social mask in a way that the other two didn't.  
  
But respect or not, Shigure didn't appreciate how the boy was muddying the calm waters he'd planned on when he tried to set the stage in furthering his relationship with Tohru. Having aspersions cast on him, even if they were voiced by a little boy, had the potential to set seeds of doubt in Tohru's mind which was something Shigure didn't want. Shigure could turn out better or worse than he already was in Tohru's eyes depending on how he handled this situation.  
  
"Daichi," said Tohru, unwittingly saving Shigure from having to respond. "I've known Shigure-san for a long time." She gave Daichi a reassuring smile. "He'd never do anything bad to me."  
  
Shigure stared at her, feeling at once both touched and, oddly enough, a bit guilty.  
  
"Onee-chan." Daichi shook his head at her. "You're too nice. You wouldn't believe the worst of anyone."  
  
Shigure couldn't disagree on that one.  
  
"That's why you need someone to look after you," Daichi continued.  
  
Shigure agreed. How scary was it that he was of the same mind as little boy he disliked?  
  
"So I'll be your protector," Daichi appointed himself proudly.  
  
On that, Shigure was definitely opposed.  
  
"Daichi!" Sanosuke's tone was disapproving. "You're being extremely rude." He looked at Shigure. "I apologize for my son's behavior."  
  
"Dad! I didn't do anything wrong! I only told the truth!"  
  
"Iie, that's quite alright," responded Shigure lightly, ignoring Daichi. "I'm used to it. He reminds me of my cousins. No harm done, really."  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu." Sanosuke smiled gratefully.  
  
"But, Dad, he really is a bad man," Daichi insisted. "Like those old men on TV who chase after young girls and-"  
  
A hand clamped over his mouth, cutting off whatever his next words might have been as Sanosuke looked a bit pale while he held his struggling son tight. His expression was, at once, both mortified and apologetic as he glanced from Shigure to Tohru whose features were settled into uncertain lines.  
  
"Sumimasen," Sanosuke said. "Perhaps it would be best if you left now." He smiled at Tohru. "Honda-san, you'll be informed later about the position with more details forthcoming if you get it."  
  
"Hai." Though still seeming uncertain, she bowed politely, an action mirrored by Shigure. "Sayonara," she said.  
  
They'd almost walked through the gates when Daichi broke free from his father's hold. He didn't run after them but he did yell.  
  
"Onee-chan! Come back and visit again!"  
  
"Hai!" Tohru responded happily, turning back with a little wave of acknowledgment. "I will!"  
  
"Old man!" Daichi glared at Shigure. "You better not do anything to her or you'll have to deal with me!"  
  
Old man?  
  
That muscle twitched unpleasantly again though Shigure kept his friendly mask, waving at them politely as he and Tohru continued on their way while Sanosuke began scolding his son in a low voice. Shigure was relieved when they were finally out of sight as well as earshot.  
  
"Sumimasen," Tohru sighed. "Daichi was out of line, I know."  
  
"Tohru-kun did nothing wrong," Shigure said easily. "You don't have to apologize."  
  
"Hai," she bit her lip, "but I don't want Shigure-san to think badly of Daichi."  
  
Too late for that, Shigure thought.  
  
"Daichi really is a very sweet boy."  
  
Shigure had his doubts, but he refrained from voicing them because there was something else on his mind. "Tohru-kun just met Matsumoto-san and his son today, ne?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"If you don't mind my asking, how did you get to be so friendly with the little boy so quickly?" Another thought occurred to him. "And why was he there? I didn't think the daycare schedule ran to boys his age this early."  
  
"Iie." She shook her head. "The daycare hasn't started up yet. Actually, someone else was supposed to interview me but there was some sort of minor emergency so the person couldn't make it. Matsumoto-san was called in instead but it was short notice so he brought his son since there was no place else he could get to look after him. I was on time but Matsumoto-san was a bit late and needed make some preparations. So while I was waiting-"  
  
"You bonded with the boy," Shigure finished.  
  
"Hai."  
  
Shigure sighed gustily. "Maa, he certainly is quite a handful. I'm impressed you did so well with him. With a son like that, Matsumoto-san and his wife must have a hard time of it."  
  
"Wife?" Tohru shook her head. "Matsumoto-san's not married. At least, not anymore."  
  
Shigure frowned, image of a gold wedding band clear in his head. "Divorced?"  
  
"Iie, widowed. Daichi told his mother passed away almost a couple years ago."  
  
That statement told Shigure so many things.  
  
He didn't have to wonder anymore about what had brought her and the hostile boy, who Shigure suspected was always difficult to get along with judging from some of the comments Sanosuke had dropped as well as his own observations, so close in such a short amount of time. No doubt they had bonded instantly over shared sorrows, especially knowing Tohru's nature as well as he did.  
  
However, no matter how bad he felt over learning of Sanosuke and his son's loss, Shigure couldn't help feeling more pressured, especially when Hatori's comments about Tohru's wonderful wife potential coming back to haunt him. Sanosuke was worrisome because he was unattached, had enough time to grieve for his late wife and get over it, and was probably on the look out for a new mother for his troublesome son. And Shigure had a good idea who the lucky candidate was, recognizing male interest for a female when he saw it, especially when it was directed at the woman he'd silently claimed for himself. Combined with the surety that Tohru would get the job and would be spending much of her time in contact with Sanosuke when she started in her new position...well, it definitely put Shigure on edge.  
  
And if the boy was looking for a new mommy figure to be paired up with his father, it was double the trouble in a way that Shigure didn't like.  
  
"Tohru-kun," Shigure said suddenly. "Let's go on a date."  
  
"Eh?!" She swung her head to look at him in surprise.  
  
"To have lunch, a lunch date," he amended, not wanting to push her too far, too fast. "It's almost lunchtime and since we're in the area, let's eat out for a change. I heard about this great little place the next block over that I've been meaning to try for a while. But I don't want to go by myself." He put on his best puppy-dog expression, overriding any protests she might make. "Please? Would Tohru-kun join me for lunch and keep me company?"  
  
How could she refuse to that? 


	6. Non Dates Aren't Easy

AN: A mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents of Japanese:  
  
sumimasen – I'm sorry / excuse me  
  
hai – yes  
  
ano – sound of hesitation like saying 'well' or 'um'  
  
maa – well  
  
iie – no  
  
senpai – one's senior  
  
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context  
  
arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much  
  
gomen – sorry  
  
sensei - teacher  
  
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CHAPTER 6: Non-Dates Aren't Easy  
  
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"How nice to see you again," the waitress said, smiling.  
  
Shigure looked up from his menu, a bit startled until he realized that the waitress, who he judged to be in her middle to late forties, was talking to Tohru. He kept his attention on the interaction, interested in anything that had to do with his little flower.  
  
"You remember me?" Tohru asked, surprised.  
  
"Of course," the waitress answered easily. "It's not often we get someone your age in here, especially a girl so polite, too."  
  
Shigure stifled a laugh.  
  
"Also, I always notice when a pretty girl is accompanied by such a handsome man," she said with a wink. She leaned in closer to Tohru, almost conspiratorially. "He's just as memorable as the last one."  
  
Tohru blushed.  
  
She probably hadn't meant to be overheard but, unfortunately, Shigure had excellent hearing.  
  
"The last one?" Shigure asked mildly after the waitress had disappeared with their order.  
  
He felt anything but mild though he masked it well. But he definitely did not like the idea that she'd come here previously with Yuki or Kyou, or anyone else for that matter as he garnered that the other person she'd been here with had been a male that most certainly wasn't him. It was petty of him, and he'd never realized until now that such a little thing would bother him so much, but he didn't care. Perhaps she didn't see it as a date, and truthfully he didn't really consider it as one either, but at the moment it was important to Shigure since it was the first time they had ever eaten out alone together. All the other times had been marred with the presence of Yuki or Kyou or some of the others along, too.  
  
The first time he got to eat alone with Tohru and he'd picked a place she'd come to with some other male!  
  
"Sumimasen," went Tohru, pink with embarrassment. "She was probably talking about Ayame-san."  
  
"Aya?" Shigure's eyes went wide. First Hatori, did he have to worry about his other friend now, too?  
  
"Didn't Shigure-san know?"  
  
"Know what?" He did his best to keep from frowning, but it wasn't easy.  
  
"Remember when I first met Ayame-san?" She laughed a little. "He dragged me out of the house and out to lunch."  
  
"Ah." Everything became clear. "Aya brought you here."  
  
"Hai."  
  
The thought relaxed him a bit.  
  
It had, after all, been Ayame who'd suggested this place but he had never mentioned coming to eat here with Tohru. He remembered Ayame and Tohru's first meeting and how upset and worried Kyou and Yuki had been when his longhaired friend had essentially kidnapped her and taken her off to some restaurant. Shigure hadn't delved too deeply back then about the details about that particular incident, not caring as much about Tohru then as he did now, so it wasn't that surprising that he hadn't know that it was this restaurant Ayame had taken her too. If Shigure had been paying more attention, he would have connected the dots long before now.  
  
Still, there was something bothering him.  
  
"Tohru-kun, that was a long time ago though." He arched an eyebrow. "As memorable as Aya is, it's hard to believe that the waitress would remember you after a couple years."  
  
"Ano," she pinkened again, "that was just the first time."  
  
"First time?" Shigure stiffened. "There are others?"  
  
"Hai. A few times over the past months. I think last week was the most recent." Tohru's gaze was puzzled. "I thought Shigure-san knew."  
  
"How could I possibly know that?" He tried not to sound so brusque, he really did.  
  
"Sumimasen."  
  
She looked hurt, making Shigure feel like a heel.  
  
"I thought Ayame-san might have mentioned it since the two of you are so close."  
  
Apparently not that close, Shigure thought uncharitably.  
  
But he sighed, knowing Tohru didn't deserve being the one made to feel so bad. Ayame, on the other hand...well, Shigure would be giving him a call in the near future. For now, Shigure just wanted to wipe that injured expression off of Tohru's face which clearly stated how sorry she felt even though she had no idea what it was she had to be sorry about.  
  
"Maa, it's not that important," Shigure lied. He smiled at her. "I was just surprised, that's all." He glanced at her curiously. "Was it just you and Aya? Or did Ha-san come with you too?"  
  
"Iie, it was just with Ayame-san." She tilted her head. "I guess he didn't want other people around since we were mostly talking about-" she cut herself off before she finished, glancing down uncomfortably.  
  
"Yuki," Shigure said.  
  
Of course, he should have known.  
  
Ayame was always sensitive on the topic of his younger brother though he concealed it well with that vivacious personality of his. And who better to talk about Yuki with than Tohru who knew him perhaps better than his own family did? Tohru's silence on the matter was obvious as well since the only times Shigure would have been likely to hear about these restaurant outings would be at home where Yuki and Kyou were, and to say that the revelation that she'd been meeting Ayame would definitely not have gone over well was a major understatement of vast proportions. Tohru being Tohru, did her best to avoid driving a further wedge in between Ayame and Yuki's relationship by keeping quiet on anything that might disrupt it.  
  
It was all harmless, and yet, it was also irritating as Shigure realized that Ayame had gotten to eat with Tohru, just the two of them, a great many more times than he had. Considering that this was the first time he found himself in a restaurant with her alone but had the ghost of Ayame's, and with him Yuki's, presence in the background, Shigure was disgruntled with the entire situation.  
  
But, of course, he let none of his negative feelings reflect in his expression.  
  
"Should I have said something earlier?" Tohru asked anxiously, breaking into his thoughts.  
  
"Iie." Shigure smiled reassuringly. "I understand. If you'd said something then Yuki, and Kyou too, would have gotten upset, ne?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Then there would have been fighting and I would have had to pay more damage repairs on the house gain." He chuckled. "Really, Tohru-kun did what was best."  
  
Tohru visibly relaxed.  
  
"But I hope Aya was a gentleman." He shook his head, tone light and bantering. "All those times eating out together, I hope he didn't try to make you pay." He frowned disapprovingly. "If a successful businessman like Aya made a woman who just finished high school pick up the tab, well, I have no words to describe that sort of despicable behavior in a man. He didn't, did he?"  
  
"Iie, not at all!" Tohru jumped in quickly. "Ayame-san was very kind and paid for everything, even when I insisted that he didn't have to."  
  
"Good. Then I won't have to scold him for that."  
  
He said it good-naturedly but Shigure was still determined to contact Ayame at the first opportunity that presented itself. He made a mental note to himself to do just that.  
  
There were, after all, other things that needed scolding for.  
  
-  
  
"Would Shigure-san mind very much if we stopped off at the grocery store?" Tohru asked as they walked back home. "Since we're going by it, I thought I could pick up the ingredients for dinner tonight."  
  
"Sure," Shigure agreed. "I don't mind."  
  
"Really? Because if it's too much bother then Shigure-san can just go on ahead."  
  
"Now what kind of a man would I be if I left you to carry the groceries home by yourself, hmm?" He wagged a finger at her playfully. "Especially without Kyou-kun or Yuki-kun around to help." As soon as he said it, he cursed himself for bringing their names up. He should have known better than that.  
  
"Then Shigure-san's help would be very welcome," was all Tohru said, smiling as if his reminder of the two far away teens was incidental.  
  
It put Shigure in a better mood as he accompanied her to the store.  
  
Certainly, this day wasn't going as expected. He'd planned on picking her up after her interview and grabbing a bite to eat, getting her comfortable to being seen with him in public places when it was just the two of them and hopefully starting her off into viewing him as a man instead of a elder brother type of figure.  
  
But he hadn't expected complications in the form of Sanosuke and his son or his reaction to the news that Ayame and Tohru had been lunching together in secret. He was feeling much more grumpy than he was romantic.  
  
And it was difficult to put the moves on the object of his affection if he wasn't in the right mood.  
  
There was something else plaguing him too. He'd expected to have to smooth over being caught in her bedroom last night, was planning on broaching the topic subtly to see if there was anything he needed to do to ease any fears that might have arisen in her mind over the incident. While he'd been distracted from it briefly by the series of recent events that had occurred, he had gleaned enough during their lunch to believe that she'd completely forgotten it, that or the event simply hadn't registered in her mind caught as she had been between sleep and wakefulness. He had mixed emotions about it: on one hand, he was glad that he didn't have to put any effort in coming up with explanations or excuses but, on the other, he didn't care for the idea that a late night bedroom visit from him was so forgettable.  
  
And that thought made him feel even worse because he knew just how pitiful it was.  
  
Really, sometimes his ego was too much even for him.  
  
"What would Shigure-san like for dinner?" Tohru pondered aloud, snagging his attention as she contemplated the array of vegetables displayed before her, their last stop as her shopping basket was already half full.  
  
"Ah, that doesn't matter," Shigure responded easily. "Anything Tohru-kun makes is sure to be delicious."  
  
Tohru's cheeks pinkened, pleased.  
  
"Today I'm just the pack horse," Shigure teased. "You can buy as much as you like and I'll show my beast of burden strength by carrying it home and earning my reward of a wonderful Tohru-kun home-cooked meal."  
  
She let out a delighted laugh and Shigure smiled, glad that he was the one to bring that sparkle to her eyes.  
  
"Now, back to shopping," Shigure told her. He waved a dismissing hand. "Though I don't think I'll be much help with this since you're the senpai when it comes to buying fresh foods. Feel free to choose whatever you think you need and I'll stay out of your way until you're ready to leave."  
  
"Hai," she assented cheerfully.  
  
He stepped a little to the side, just enough to avoid hampering her as she went about making selections while he observed her. And he didn't mind standing around since he did, after all, enjoy watching her. He was particularly fascinated with a loose strand of hair that straggled from her bun. The feathery strand laid on the soft paleness of her neck, waving in gentle undulations with her every movement, an inviting dark curl that stood in stark contrast to that delectable sensitive flesh which just begged for a touch of lips, maybe even a tiny nibble.  
  
"How shameless!"  
  
At the hissed invective, Shigure straightened abruptly as he suddenly realized that he'd unconsciously leaned in closer until he was nearly pressed against her –  
  
With his face a scant few inches away from Tohru's nape!  
  
Fortunately, she seemed absorbed in her task and hadn't noticed anything amiss but, judging from the hushed comments he picked up with his excellent hearing, he couldn't say the same for anyone else. And a sideways tilt of the head revealed to his peripheral vision that a group of several gossiping old women were indeed looking in their direction with varying degrees of disapproval stamped across their withered features. Not for the first time, he cursed the societal strictures of Japan that frowned so on public displays of affection and made him and an unwitting Tohru the focus of censure.  
  
After all, it wasn't as if he'd meant to practically take a bite out of her in public!  
  
"Hmph," grunted an old woman with an unpleasantly grating voice. "The least they could do is save it until they were in the privacy of their own homes instead of foisting such disgusting displays on decent folk."  
  
"They're probably newlyweds," reasoned one woman. "Besides, with the way society's been changing lately, you can't say you haven't seen worse elsewhere."  
  
"Even so, the grocery store is hardly the place for such unseemly behavior!"  
  
"That's right," spoke a third voice in a self-righteous tone. "After all, people bring their little ones when they shop - there are children present. They could be scarred for life!"  
  
Shigure barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.  
  
"And that man – he seems so much older than her." It was the grating old woman again.  
  
"Hai, hai," came the self-righteously spoken agreement. "Such a sweet looking girl – he probably did something to take advantage of her."  
  
Shigure scowled, glad his back was to whoever was speaking so she that couldn't see the dark expression on his face.  
  
"I don't think he's that old," said the reasonable one. "Surely your eyes can't be that bad? It's probably just the yukata. It's rare to see young men these days wearing them so casually. It just makes him look older."  
  
Shigure made a mental note to stop wearing them in public.  
  
"And they make a lovely couple."  
  
It was the reasonable one again. Shigure decided he liked her.  
  
"I think it's romantic the way he fawns over her, just like a young couple in love."  
  
"Love?" snorted the grating voice. "I wouldn't be too sure of that."  
  
Shigure decided that really didn't like her.  
  
"I just recalled why she looked so familiar," the grating voice continued. "I've seen her in here before – sometimes with an orange-haired boy, sometimes with a lighter-haired one, sometimes with both. Now she's here with a different one?" She snorted again in a very horse-like fashion. "Obviously, she's some sort of hussy!"  
  
Shigure decided that he hated her.  
  
He'd also come to the decision that he couldn't stand by and listen to them malign Tohru who didn't deserve such barbs about her. While he didn't really care what some dried up old biddies had to say about him, Tohru was a different matter and he would have whirled around to give them a piece of his mind if his companion hadn't turned to him and captured his attention.  
  
"I'm done now," she announced cheerfully. "Unless there's something else Shigure-san would like to buy?"  
  
"Iie," he said relieved as he began guiding her to the cashier's. "If that's all, then we should just check out and leave."  
  
"Hai," she agreed easily.  
  
Unfortunately, the path with which he gently guided her towards the cashier's took them directly past the gossiping old women whose unflattering conversation he'd overheard. His jaw clenched when two of them turned their noses up snottily at the friendly smile Tohru sent towards them in passing. The third one, however, responded to Tohru's amiable gesture with a tiny smile of her own and Shigure judged her to be the one he had dubbed as the reasonable voice of the group.  
  
A casual glance around as they paid for the items showed him that there were others in the store leveling suspicious looks their way, no doubt some of them having overheard the old women's conversation too. That or they had also reached the same unflattering conclusions because they recognized Tohru.  
  
He should have suspected it, after all, since this particular grocery store was located near their home. It was only common sense that she'd shop at the same place for the sake of convenience but he'd never entertained the thought until now of what it meant for her to become a familiar sight, not just to the Soumas but also to the others who lived nearby and constantly saw members of the family with her.  
  
Of course he'd known that she needed to keep it secret at school that she was living with unrelated males or else her reputation would have been shredded, but this was the first time he'd thought of it in connection with something as simple as grocery shopping. And it brought him a dilemma to deal with for he couldn't tell her to start shopping somewhere further away and less convenient just because he wanted her to avoid stares and gossip. But he also didn't enjoy letting her constantly brave such situations, no matter how unsuspecting she was about it all.  
  
As he frowned at the cashier who shot a leering glance at Tohru, who was oblivious to it, Shigure knew he had to do something –  
  
But what?  
  
Suddenly, Shigure was struck with a brilliant idea. Well, perhaps it wasn't brilliant, but it was an idea.  
  
"Ah," he sighed gustily, loudly, earning him curious stares from Tohru and other observers. "I can't wait until tonight! To think that I'll have a mouth-watering home-cooked dinner prepared by such lovely hands – I must be one of the happiest men in the world to have such a wonderful fiancé!"  
  
"Fiancé?!"  
  
He bit back a triumphant grin, maintaining a carefree mask as he keen ear picked up the word being hissed around him. Even the cashier was no exception as a mix of surprise and disappointment chased across his features.  
  
Take that, he thought viciously through his smiling façade.  
  
"Ne?" Shigure leaned in closer to the cashier conspiratorially. "Don't you think I'm lucky?"  
  
"H-hai," he stuttered, gaze flickering between them uncertainly. "S-she's lovely."  
  
"Isn't she though?" he said proudly as whispers continued behind him.  
  
He slid a glance at her, noticing her shocked and silent stupor as she stared back at him with wide, glassy eyes. He knew he didn't have long before she snapped out of it and opened that mouth which would undoubtedly say something that would ruin the little scenario he'd staged. So he quickly grabbed their sacked groceries with one hand while steering her towards the exit with the other while the murmurs around him seemed to grow.  
  
"Must get my little flower back home now before she wilts!" he called back. "Keep the change!"  
  
When they were a block away, he let out a sigh of relief, risking a look at Tohru. She still looked pale and shocky and he felt a little guilty for doing that to her. He winced a little, imagining that the next time she went back there she'd be faced with stares and whispers for a different reason – because of him. No doubt next time the issue would be all about the over exuberant and loquacious fiancé!  
  
"Gomen, Tohru-kun. I know I must have surprised you." He winced again at the understatement. "But there was a good reason, really."  
  
She blinked rapidly, still dazed but overcoming the shock. "Why?"  
  
"Maa, you see – hmm – how should I put it?"  
  
He scratched his head, indeed wondering how he should put it. Of all the times for his smoothness to desert him, why did it have to be now?  
  
"Maa, it just had to be done."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"An excellent question." He sighed as the words came to him and looked at her steadily. "Tohru-kun, it's for your own protection."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Hai, that's right." He thought of the leering cashier. "It's so other people might think twice before bothering you."  
  
"Why would anyone do that?" she asked, puzzled.  
  
"Maa," he tried to figure out how to explain, "do you remember how you were supposed to keep the fact that you were living with us a secret at school?"  
  
"Hai. What about it?"  
  
"It was to avoid rumors, ne? After all, an unmarried young girl living with males that have no relation to her isn't thought well of."  
  
"Hai," she said softly, remembering the reaction of her aunt and her family when they'd discovered that very fact. "But what does that have to do with what happened at the store?"  
  
"It's something similar, actually. Gomen. I never thought about what it meant for you to constantly show up there with one of the boys. When you become a familiar face and become recognized for going there with different men – well, I don't want anyone saying something bad to you."  
  
"No one's ever said anything to me before."  
  
Not yet, he thought. "Maybe so but they'll be less likely to if they think you're attached to someone."  
  
"I see." She pondered his words. "So that's why Shigure-san said all of that."  
  
"You're not angry with me, are you?" He was more anxious than he realized to hear her answer.  
  
"Iie." She shook her head. "It was very nice of Shigure-san to try and protect me like that."  
  
He released a relieved sigh.  
  
"But," she bit her lip, "won't it be a problem for Shigure-san?"  
  
He blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Ano, if people think about us like that, would it be bad for Shigure-san?"  
  
A dark brow arched. "You're worried about my reputation?"  
  
She nodded, looking anxious.  
  
"Maa," he restrained his urge to laugh, "I don't think you have to be concerned over that."  
  
"Really?" She didn't look convinced. "But what about Mayuko-sensei?"  
  
His mind went blank. "What about her?"  
  
"I don't want to cause any problems." She wrung her hands nervously.  
  
He was thoroughly confused. "How would you do that?"  
  
"If Shigure-san and Mayuko-sensei are going out then-" she stopped, staring in bewilderment as he suddenly burst out laughing.  
  
Indeed, he could hardly contain his hilarity as it all became clear. Obviously, Tohru was under the impression that he was dating her former teacher and was afraid the rumor of their false engagement would get back to her and cause trouble in their non-existent relationship.  
  
If only she knew the truth about where his affections really lay!  
  
"Gomen, gomen," he gasped as he got himself under control. "I didn't mean to laugh but I you've got the wrong impression. I'm not involved with her."  
  
"Really? But the two of you seem so close."  
  
Interesting, he thought. He didn't think she'd noticed. But it was apparent that she had and he decided to be honest about it and get it out of the way. After all, one never knew when something like this might rise up again to haunt him and Shigure wasn't taking the chance.  
  
"Maa, we do have a history together. And we did go out at one point but that was a long time ago." He tilted his head, staring at her thoughtfully. "I'm not currently involved with anyone else either so Tohru- kun doesn't have to worry about anyone but me being bothered with the little fiancé cover. And trust me, I'm not bothered."  
  
"Oh, good." She looked relieved. "I really didn't want to cause any trouble. But if Shigure-san thinks it's okay-"  
  
"I do," he hastened to assure her. "After all, it was my idea, ne? And when you go back to that store next time, just go along with it, okay? Please," he said when it looked like she might protest the deception. "I think it would be better and if Tohru-kun agrees, it would ease my mind a great deal."  
  
Put like that, she couldn't refuse and she nodded with a trace of reluctance.  
  
"Good." He smiled teasingly. "Surely it can't be that bad being my fiancé?"  
  
"Iie, not at all!" she exclaimed hastily. "I didn't mean to imply-"  
  
"It's okay, Tohru-kun," he chuckled. "I was only joking."  
  
Her lips curved as she regarded him warmly. "But I think Shigure-san would make a wonderful fiancé though." She cocked her head. "And a husband, too, of course."  
  
At the look on her face, he felt his heart beat just a tad faster as his eyes went a touch wider. Of course, she couldn't have an idea how those words affected him – until now, even he hadn't thought they'd have such an impact.  
  
But they did.  
  
And as he regarded the soft expression she wore on those upturned features, directed at him no less, he had the hope that he might not have to work as hard as he'd originally thought in getting her to return his affections.  
  
"Lovely," he said softly.  
  
"Eh?" Confusion crossed her face.  
  
"Tohru-kun is very lovely today." He smiled charmingly. "The cashier himself said so, ne?"  
  
A blush tinted her cheeks as she vigorously shook her head. "I'm not, really."  
  
"I disagree." He eyed her. "I don't know how it slipped my mind to not mention it before but Tohru-kun really is a pretty picture today. I don't believe I've ever seen you in that outfit before."  
  
"Hai, it's new," she said, grasping desperately at the new topic she saw presenting itself with no small sense of relief. "When I told Hana-chan and Uo-chan about the interview, they took me shopping. They said I should have something more professional looking." She sweated a little when she recalled how many times she'd had to change and try on different outfits when her friends had seemed to get a bit carried away. "They insisted actually."  
  
"I'm sure they did," he murmured as he, too, recalled how her friends fawned over her. "Maa, it suits you quite nicely."  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu," she responded graciously, blushing again.  
  
"I'm only telling the truth." He smiled at her deepening blush but, noticing some glares they were garnering standing in the middle of the sidewalk as they talked, he decided it was past time to get moving. "Maa, I suppose we should be heading back now, ne?"  
  
"Hai," she agreed. "Let's go home." 


	7. Call For Me

A mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents of Japanese:  
  
hai – yes  
  
iie – no  
  
sumimasen – I'm sorry / excuse me  
  
baka - idiot  
  
maa – well  
  
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context  
  
ano – sound of hesitation like saying 'well' or 'um'  
  
arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much  
  
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CHAPTER 7: Call For Me  
  
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RING! RING! RING!  
  
"I'll get it!"  
  
Tohru was as good as her word as she hurried towards the phone, which had started its incessant ringing just as they set foot within the house, before she'd even finished speaking. She moved with an eagerness that made Shigure hard-pressed not to frown.  
  
"Oh, Yuki-kun!" she exclaimed happily into the receiver.  
  
Shigure frowned anyway.  
  
"How was the trip to Fukuoka?" Tohru bubbled in into the phone. "Did you have any problems getting there? Have you had a chance to check out the university's campus yet? And what about Kyou-kun? I hope the two of you didn't fight too much. And did you eat-?"  
  
She broke off, giving an embarrassed giggle at whatever was being said on the other end of the line, no doubt something about calming down so Yuki could get a word in edgewise. Even though Shigure was several yards away, he could hear the sound of Yuki's voice emerging from the phone although he wasn't able to make out any specific words.  
  
But whatever he was saying was making her laugh.  
  
A happy laugh.  
  
A laugh he suddenly didn't like hearing being elicited by someone else.  
  
Especially a MALE someone else!  
  
Irritation riding him with an intensity he would never have thought possible until experiencing it at that very moment, Shigure had to do something besides standing uselessly around like an idiot and attempting to melt the phone with his heated gaze. Much as he'd enjoy indulging in the pettiness of the act, it was beneath him – for a prolonged period of time anyway – so he decided to distract himself. And so, with distraction as his goal, he strode towards her with the grocery bags in his hands and motioned to her just before he passed by, whispering lowly so as not to interrupt their conversation.  
  
"I'll just put these in the kitchen."  
  
In response, Tohru flicked an absentminded smile in his direction in acknowledgment as she blushed and giggled again into the phone. A muscle twitched in Shigure's jaw as he strode away from his preoccupied companion, reigning in the urge to stomp loudly with every step, with grocery bags in tow before he did something rash that he might later come to regret.  
  
Like smash the phone to smithereens.  
  
He busied himself with the groceries, hoping to divert his attention from the conversation that was taking place outside the kitchen. He even went so far as to do something so out of character, so beyond the normal realms of his disorganized way of living, so disturbing that anyone who knew him well would have done a double take and made reservations for a place in the psychiatric ward had they been witness to his abnormal actions. The mighty had fallen to new lows and the one Shigure sank to was mired in a sticky pool of atypical domesticity.  
  
Shigure was putting away the groceries!  
  
Neatly.  
  
In an organized easy-to-find-later fashion.  
  
Hell MUST have frozen over.  
  
Such was Shigure's disconcerted thought once he stopped moving long enough to realize what exactly he'd just done. Staring with no small amount of disbelief and consternation at his handiwork while the image of the newly organized contents of the refrigerator seemed to mock him with its orderly pristine, he could only shake his head over himself.  
  
Unfortunately, his preoccupation with his aberrant behavior didn't last long.  
  
The distraction over the organization of the groceries was all too fleeting. With nothing else left to do in the kitchen, which was unfamiliar territory to him despite its longtime existence in his home, Shigure had no other means to occupy himself aside from trying to decipher just what was being said out in the hallway. In other words –  
  
Shigure was eavesdropping.  
  
Or trying to anyway.  
  
Too bad he could hear even less in the kitchen than when he'd been standing a few yards away from her in the hallway.  
  
Muffled laughter and words were all that reached his ears. The obvious merriment in the sound had bad temper snapping at his mood on the heels of an uncomfortable jealousy that was, unfortunately, becoming an all too familiar presence.  
  
It was almost enough make a fun-loving, dog-transforming, self-established writer brood.  
  
Tucking his hands into the loose sleeves of his yukata, Shigure frowned and decided to stop hiding in the kitchen and just go out there. It was his house – he was free to go wherever he wanted, wasn't he? He didn't have to remain stuck in the kitchen until the hallway conversation was finished. It was one of those polite rules that he tended to ignore anyways. And, besides, it wasn't as if it were completely private. After all, Tohru hadn't asked to be excused to talk to the caller without anyone else around – he was the one who had done the excusing! And he was the one who -  
  
With a huff, he stopped that train of thought. Dark eyes slid half closed in exasperation as he fought back the overwhelming urge to throttle himself when he realized –  
  
He was trying to psyche himself up to step foot outside of his own kitchen!  
  
Bah!  
  
At least there was no one else around to witness his embarrassment.  
  
Having had enough of his ridiculous behavior, he separated himself from the kitchen, striding down the hallway as the sounds of conversation became louder with every step. Pasting a friendly smile on his face, he came to a stop beside her, leaning lightly against a nearby wall as he tried to gain the conversing female's attention.  
  
"Oh, Tohru-kun, Tohru-kun! I finished putting away the groceries!"  
  
All conversation immediately stopped as she froze and a suspended stillness seemed to suddenly seize the atmosphere. Slowly, very slowly, her head turned to face him until she was regarding him with wide shocked eyes and a mouth parted in uncertain surprise. He might have been insulted – if he weren't just so happy that she was finally paying attention to him instead of her caller.  
  
"S-Shigure-san...put away the groceries?" She blinked uncomprehendingly. "Really?"  
  
Okay, perhaps he'd be insulted after all.  
  
It was unfair. Absolutely unjust to think he couldn't be considerate or competent enough to every once in a while do something as simple as putting away groceries –  
  
Even if it was true and he'd never actually done it before.  
  
But that was beside the point!  
  
"Hai," Shigure responded indulgently. "They're all neatly put way in the refrigerator."  
  
"Neatly?" she echoed dazedly.  
  
A dark brow arched. "You don't think I'm capable of that?"  
  
That snapped her out of it. "Oh, iie, iie! Of course I'm sure that you did a wonderful job," she hastily said, flustered. "I didn't mean-" She blinked, jerking slightly as she pressed the receiver back against her ear. "Ah, Yuki-kun! Sumimasen, I was just talking to Shigure-san. Eh? Iie. Nothing's wrong. Shigure-san was just telling me that he put away the groceries."  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
"Ano, Yuki-kun? Yuki-kun?" Her tone was worried. "Are you still there?"  
  
A brow twitched at the continued silence. Feeling irritated, Shigure wondered if it was really so hard to believe that he'd done what he did.  
  
How bad of an opinion did people have of him anyway?  
  
Hmph!  
  
"Ah, Yuki-kun!" Tohru exclaimed in relief. "I was getting worried when you didn't answer. Did you go somewhere? Ah, I see. Iie, I did say that. Hai, Shigure-san put away the groceries." She blushed. "Yuki-kun, I don't think I need to check on that. I'm sure he did it properly."  
  
That did it!  
  
"Ah!" Tohru gasped in surprise when the receiver was suddenly snatched from her hand.  
  
A smiling Shigure winked at her as he pressed it to his ear.  
  
"Honda-san? Honda-san!"  
  
"Iie, wrong person."  
  
"Shigure?"  
  
"Ah, Yuki-kun! I'm so happy you remembered the dulcet sounds of my voice." He gave a fake sob. "It brings tears to my eyes to know that you think of me so fondly that you carry the memory of my voice with you always."  
  
"Baka! What did you do to Honda-san? And what's this about...groceries?"  
  
"Don't worry, our little flower is still here – untouched and pristine as ever. Though who knows how long that will last?"  
  
"Shigure!"  
  
"It's a joke, a joke!"  
  
Shigure imagined he could hear the grinding of teeth over the connection.  
  
It made him grin.  
  
"And as for the groceries...surely you don't think domesticity is totally devoid in this writer's heart?"  
  
"Your domestic talents lie in dialing the phone for take-out," was the waspish reply.  
  
"Oh, now that really hurts."  
  
"Hmph. I'd sooner believe that you convinced Hatori join you in an orgy."  
  
"Why, Yuki-kun! I'm shocked! I had no idea you thought of Ha-san that way!"  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"Kyou-kun mentioned those rumors at school about your being gay but I never really thought-"  
  
"Argh! Shut up! That's not what I meant and you know it!"  
  
"Maa, what else am I to think when you mention men and," aware of Tohru's wide eyes on him, he dropped his tone so she couldn't hear, "orgies. It's an obvious conclusion, ne?"  
  
"Shigure, if this is how you talk around Honda-san, I'm going to transfer back home. It's becoming apparent that it was a mistake to leave Honda-san alone with you."  
  
"Now, Yuki-kun. I'll have you know I've been a perfect gentleman." 'So far,' he finished mentally. "Ask Tohru-kun and she'll tell you."  
  
"She already has."  
  
Somewhat taken aback, he went, "She has?"  
  
"Hai, but since it's Honda-san, I can't completely trust everything she's said about you."  
  
'You have no idea...' Shigure thought.  
  
"So...the grocery store." A long pause. "Fiancée?"  
  
Shigure winced. So Tohru had even gone as far as to tell Yuki about that particular fiasco. Bracing himself for a long lecture and an angry tirade, he almost had a heart attack when –  
  
He was praised!  
  
"It's a good idea," Yuki said. "I wish I'd thought of it sooner."  
  
Shigure blinked in shock.  
  
"I never thought much about what it'd be like for her to be seen with us at someplace like that." A tired sigh. "It seems we can't protect her when we're nearby, and we can't protect her when we're far away either."  
  
"Maa," Shigure found himself unexpectedly reassuring the caller, "It was just an oversight. Who would expect to think of something like that about a simple grocery store? Until today, I certainly never thought of it either – and you know how my mind works."  
  
There was a disbelieving snort. "Shigure, I don't think there's anyone besides you who knows how your head works."  
  
"Hmm, should I be insulted?"  
  
"Take it however you want. I just...wanted to thank you for looking after Honda-san."  
  
Shigure chuckled. "You're one of the last people I would have thought would be saying such words to me."  
  
"Things are different now," was all he said. "We can't watch over her, and somebody has to. Until we can come back."  
  
Shigure's grip on the phone cord unconsciously tightened.  
  
"And this...Matsumoto Sanosuke that Honda-san mentioned...I think you should be careful of him. I've never met him but...I have a bad feeling about him."  
  
"Oh, my." Despite his own tension on the matter, Shigure joked, "Is Kyushu air making Yuki-kun psychic?"  
  
"I should have known better than to try having a serious conversation with you," was the muttered response. "Just watch out for him...and Honda-san. Because if you don't," his tone dropped to something more threatening, "you're really not going to like it when we see each other again."  
  
Unmoved, Shigure responded easily, "I'll keep that in mind."  
  
"You'd better. We'll be calling periodically to check on Honda-san."  
  
He tilted his head. "This sounds like a 'sayonara' to me. Are you hanging up?"  
  
"Hai, unless Kyou-"  
  
A faint 'Just tell the bastard not to do anything perverted to her or else I'll kick his ass the next time I see him!' could be heard in the background.  
  
"Ah, Kyou said-"  
  
"There's no need to repeat it, Yuki-kun. I heard." He chuckled. "I see Kyushu air hasn't changed him either."  
  
"Then I'll be going. We're still in the middle of unpacking."  
  
Though he didn't really want to offer, he nevertheless said, "Did you want to talk to Tohru-kun again?"  
  
After a considering pause, Yuki replied, "That's not necessary. I've already said what I wanted to tell her."  
  
Resisting the urge to ask what that was, he inquired, "And Kyou-kun?"  
  
"He already spoke to her earlier."  
  
"Really?" Shigure blinked. How long had he been in that kitchen anyway?  
  
"Hai." There was a muffled noise in the background. "I really have to go now. Just tell Honda-san that I-"  
  
A faint yell from the phone.  
  
"-that WE will call her later. In a few days maybe, next week at the latest."  
  
"Hai, hai, hai. I'll tell her."  
  
"And Shigure?"  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"Remember what I said. You'd better not let anything happen to her or else you'll find out just how scary a mouse can be."  
  
A click and the dial tone sounded before he could form a reply.  
  
'Maa...that was certainly different,' Shigure mused as he replaced the receiver in its cradle. 'I wonder what-'  
  
"Shigure-san?"  
  
He turned only to be caught in wide questioning eyes. An easy smile creased his features as he responded lightly, "No need to worry, Tohru-kun. Yuki-kun said they still had a lot of unpacking to do so they'll call you later, maybe next week."  
  
"Eheh, that's good to know but...ano, what was that you said about Yuki-kun being...gay?"  
  
He gaped. He'd totally forgotten about that!  
  
"Is that true?"  
  
Tempted to reply immediately in the affirmative, he held back. It was too easy a lie to be caught in and he knew that Yuki really would do his best to kill him for that alone. And a lie like that would only too easily come back to haunt him for he had no doubt that she'd probably let something slip to the mouse the next time they talked.  
  
Suddenly, a wicked idea came to him.  
  
It was harmless, really. Just a little fun...for him anyway.  
  
"Er, it's a sensitive issue, Tohru-kun," he told her conspiratorially as he tried to look as innocent and scheme-free as possible. "So I don't really want to say too much about it. It might be best if you ask Yuki-kun yourself about it when he calls. I'm sure he'll respond much better if he can tell you himself, ne?"  
  
"Okay," she replied thoughtfully.  
  
She tilted her head and Shigure could practically see her filing that little bit of information in her head to be dredged up later. Probably whenever she had Yuki on the phone again. Resisting the childish urge to rub his hands together gleefully, he only hoped that he'd be around to hear that particular conversation when it occurred.  
  
A man had to get his entertainment from somewhere.  
  
"So, Tohru-kun?" he inquired as he trailed behind her to the kitchen. "What are you going to do for the rest of the day?"  
  
"There's making dinner, of course. Then some cleaning I still have to do. Oh, and I have to call Hana-chan and Uo-chan!"  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Hai! They wanted to set a date when we could go out together for some shopping. Hana-chan said that now that Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun are gone, it was a sign that we should spend more time together. They even suggested that one of these days they should stay overnight." She cast him a slightly anxious look. "If that's okay with Shigure-san?"  
  
"Of course," he agreed. "This is your home as much as mine, Tohru-kun. And it's not like they haven't spent the night before."  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu," she thanked him brightly.  
  
Reaching the kitchen, one of the first things she did was to head towards the refrigerator while Shigure stopped behind her when she did. But when she opened it, she stood silently as she stared at its contents. Meanwhile, a nearby Shigure found himself suddenly anxious, especially when seconds continued to tick by while she said nothing.  
  
And Shigure just couldn't take the silence any more.  
  
"I never really paid attention to how Tohru-kun kept it organized so I'm not sure if I set it up the way that you liked," he started babbling nervously. "I mean, I didn't know if you had a certain system set up – although you've been doing this so long that you probably do but – if you don't like it than we can fix it. Or I can fix it – or maybe you since-"  
  
"Shigure-san," her soft voice interrupted him. "It's fine the way it is." She smiled at him. "You did a good job."  
  
It was ridiculous, simply ridiculous how such words of praise made his heart swell inside – and over how the contents of a refrigerator were arranged, no less! Still...  
  
It was a nice feeling.  
  
"Since Shigure-san was so helpful and did such a wonderful job, I think a reward is a good idea," Tohru was saying as she removed something from the fridge, closing the door soundly before making her way to the cabinets.  
  
Shigure watched her curiously as she pulled out a glass and tipped the chilled bottle she'd taken from the fridge until dark liquid poured out. She stopped before the liquid spilled over, setting aside the bottle as she offered the filled glass to him.  
  
"Here," she said sweetly. "Shigure-san must be thirsty after all the walking and helping me with the groceries."  
  
"What is it?" he asked, taking the glass from her and peering into the dark contents curiously. "Wine?"  
  
"Iie, it's grape juice. It's very refreshing to have after any kind of exertion. And I know it's not something I usually buy since Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun don't really care for it, but since they're not here anymore I thought-"  
  
"Say no more, Tohru-kun. I appreciate it." He took a sip, pleasantly surprised at his sweet-tartness. "It's delicious."  
  
"I'm glad Shigure-san likes it," she said, pleased.  
  
"I do. Although," one dark brow winged upwards suggestively, "perhaps I could have a different kind of reward next time."  
  
"Oh?" A puzzled look crossed her features. "Like what?"  
  
"Like..." No, he couldn't do it. Not just yet. "Like...something we can discuss later. Say, didn't you say you had some phone calls to make?"  
  
"Ah, that's right!" She looked at the watch on her wrist she'd worn for today. "They should be available right now. I'll try calling Hana-chan and Uo-chan first, then Hatsuharu-san and Momiji-kun."  
  
Shigure paused. "Haru and Momiji too?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you?"  
  
He shook his head. "Why would you need to call them?"  
  
"Because Momiji-kun wanted to spend some time together before school started." She expression turned affectionate. "I think he wants to make sure I'm not too lonely since Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun are gone."  
  
"I see."  
  
Though a hint of uneasiness curled through him, Shigure pushed it aside. The rabbit was always seeking out attention, it seemed. This was no different that how he acted before Yuki and Kyou had left. On the other hand...  
  
"And Haru?" Shigure questioned casually.  
  
"Ah, Hatsuharu-san...he...ano, there's just something that he said he needed to ask me."  
  
Tohru was a terrible liar.  
  
Although she wasn't lying exactly, it was clear she was trying to be evasive. His hand tightened its grip on the cool glass he held while suspicion ate at him as he took in her flustered features, the darting eyes that seemed to look everywhere but him, the way her fingers twisted the watch she wore around her wrist in a restless motion. An urgency within him demanded to be met and so, despite the tiny voice within him that told him to brush it off, he pressed.  
  
"And what was it he needed to ask?" he inquired silkily.  
  
"Eh?" She swallowed, staring out the floor. "Ano..."  
  
"What, Tohru-kun?"  
  
"A-Ano...i-it was-"  
  
RING! RING! RING!  
  
"I'll get it!" she exclaimed in obvious relief, disappearing from the kitchen before Shigure had time to say otherwise.  
  
Scowling darkly, he trailed after her, stopping just before he rounded the corner into her line of vision. Keeping himself hidden from view, he felt no qualms this time about eavesdropping as she answered the phone.  
  
"Ah, Hana-chan! How did you know I was just going to call you?"  
  
His eyes narrowed at her cheerful words, feeling somehow that the denpa had done it deliberately by choosing that particular time to call, as if picking up on her friend's distress across whatever distance separated them and coming to the rescue in the form of a timely – or untimely depending on one's point of view – phone call.  
  
But as it was just the denpa calling, Shigure thought as he wandered away towards his study, he had little use for listening in on the conversation. It was the other male Soumas that worried him.  
  
Why did they seem to all be getting in his way?  
  
Hatori's words came back to haunt him. As if his words had activated a dormant curse, Hatori's premonitions seemed to be coming true as the apparent demands of his cousins appeared to be encroaching upon his own plans.  
  
All these interruptions, all these people both new and old that were constantly seeking her attention...they were all trying to monopolize her and interfering in his attempts to get closer to her by stealing her free time away from him. He had thought that, with Yuki and Kyou gone, she would have more time to spare. But things were not turning out that way. Instead, everyone left behind seemed to be trying to make up for the slack of the two teens' absence by demanding more of her for themselves.  
  
Shigure didn't like it.  
  
Something had to be done...but what?  
  
As long as she was surrounded by the multitude of people who loved her, who wanted to be with her, her attentions were going to constantly drawn away from him. And even though Yuki and Kyou were far away in Kyushu, they'd still be monopolizing her attention periodically via phone. Everyone near and far was competing for her and because he was after the same thing, he was only going to be pulled further into the competition.  
  
Unless...  
  
A slow smile curled his lips as a plan began to form in his mind. He allowed himself a small chuckle that no one heard but him as he made a mental of list of those he needed to call.  
  
Starting with Aya.  
  
-  
  
Tohru hummed while she worked, hands moving with skillful efficiency as she prepared dinner for two. But because these were the same motions she was so used to performing to the point that she didn't even need to concentrate fully on what she was doing, it left her mind free to wander. And that path her mind took...  
  
It led to Shigure.  
  
He'd been acting oddly.  
  
His recent strange behavior concerned her, confused her. And...  
  
It kind of hurt her too.  
  
She wondered if she'd done something wrong, something to make him distrust her. Why else would he make use of the long extension cord on the hallway phone to drag it all the way into his study just to make calls? It was obvious he wanted privacy to make whatever call he was making but he could have just told her and she would have stayed away. She didn't think she'd done anything to make him distrust her so and think that she might actually eavesdrop on him.  
  
Maybe it was something else, she fretted.  
  
After all, when he'd dragged the phone into his study, he had tried to reassure her that it was nothing against her – he just hadn't wanted to disturb her because the conversation might get a little loud and he didn't want to trouble her with the noise. And he hadn't acted as if he were angry with her for anything, smiling at her in his usual fashion. But...  
  
Shigure was kind enough to do that anyway just so she wouldn't feel bad.  
  
She sighed, wondering if she was just blowing things out of proportion again.  
  
If he had appeared a bit more physically ill, she wouldn't have hesitated in calling Hatori to come and do a check-up on his friend. But for all his strange behavior, he seemed perfectly healthy physically. So, she deduced it must be something mental or emotional that was affecting him and while she did want to help, even if she wasn't the cause for the changes she sensed in him, she was afraid of broaching the subject for fear of offending him.  
  
Despite his seemingly open and carefree nature, Tohru had a feeling that he was an intensely private person. She didn't think he'd open up to her even if she asked and she didn't want to risk things becoming uncomfortable between them if she offered and he refused. And, besides, he was older than her, had so much more experience. Surely he would know better than anyone whether or not he needed help from a fresh out of high school teenager or someone else.  
  
Wouldn't he?  
  
She sighed again, resisting the urge to rub at the ache building at her temple.  
  
"Ne, Tohru-kun?"  
  
For some reason, the sudden sound of his voice from behind her didn't startle her as it normally would have. Perhaps, because she'd been thinking about him in the first place, it seemed natural to hear him addressing her out of the blue. Whatever the case, she responded by turning towards his voice only to find him gazing at her with that cheerful trademark smile of his.  
  
Full of joy, excitement, and touched with a hint of mischief, his smile was as inviting as it was somewhat alarming while his eyes practically twinkled at her when he asked –  
  
"How would Tohru-kun like to spend a love-love weekend with me on the coast?"  
  
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AUTHOR'S NOTES: I apologize for the time it took to update and I hope you all found this chapter to be worth the wait.  
  
And I'd love to promise that you won't have to wait long for another update to come...but I can't. My muse is a fickle thing and time just doesn't always agree with fic writing. But keep your fingers crossed and hope that it at least won't take another year for the next chapter to come out. I'd do the same except...crossed fingers make it harder to type! =D  
  
This fic might have actually sat longer without an update if not for certain people – you know who you are! – constantly prodding me for an update. So, thanks to all for the wonderful and encouraging comments everyone's been kind enough to send my way.  
  
Many hugs and kisses to all you readers and reviewers out there! 


	8. To Whisk Away Or Not?

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** So did you wait long enough for this? Heh. Thank you to those who have been sticking with this story for so long and I'm sorry for the lengthy time between updates but after discovering _Naruto_ and, more recently, _Bleach_, my Furuba muse fell into a very long hibernating sleep and I had a very difficult time waking it up. Plus, I had two very different versions of this chapter to decide between which stumped me for quite a bit too. I liked this version the best though and I hope it's worth the wait.

Oh, and since there have been a lot of new developments in the manga since my last update on this fic nearly ten months ago, I'm too lazy right now to go back and fix up the details to match up with the manga storyline. So if it bothers anyone, just consider this a type of AU fic as the storyline I developed for this fic years ago before these new developments is the one I'm going to be following for now. Perhaps one day I'll revise everything to match up (I've already spotted some things I want to fix if only in the formatting) and, then again…perhaps not.

A mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents of Japanese:

hai – yes

ara – oh, my

iie – no

maa – well

ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context

arigatou – thank you

sumimasen – I'm sorry / excuse me

ano – sound of hesitation like saying 'well' or 'um'

itterasshai – take care (said to someone leaving home)

ittekimasu – I'm leaving (said by someone when leaving home)

oOoOoOo

CHAPTER 8: To Whisk Away…Or Not?

oOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

oOoOoOo

"_Ehhhh!_" Tohru exclaimed.

Eyes wide and feeling a flush creeping over her cheeks, she could only stare dumbly back at Shigure's cheerful features and wonder if she had heard him wrong. It wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened, after all, and she'd had a lot of shocks already today what with Shigure's unexpected appearance after her interview, the fiancé fiasco, the news that Yuki might possibly be gay – she worriedly wondered why he'd never mentioned it to her – and then the even stranger experience with Shigure actually organizing the groceries. Too many jarring surprises this morning must have affected her thinking because it was completely ridiculous to even assume that Shigure had just asked –

"How would Tohru-kun like to spend a love-love weekend with me on the coast?" Shigure repeated.

Her eyes kept careful track of his lips as they formed the words heard by her ears. It took a while but, bit-by-bit, it gradually sunk in that neither her ears or her eyes were playing tricks on her mind and that Shigure had really asked what he'd asked. And once the full meaning of what he'd asked finally registered with her –

"_Ehhhh!_" Tohru exclaimed again.

Shigure repeated the question once more and Tohru suddenly –

Couldn't think.

Alarming fuzziness clouded her mind. She didn't know what to think, what to feel, or discern whether she was possibly caught in some strange stress-induced dream that had no place in reality. Then again, it could be that this was truly reality and Shigure, being Shigure, was simply joking around. It certainly wouldn't be the first time but it was a little odd as he hadn't made any such jokes lately ever since Yuki and Kyou had left. But that had to be it. It was just a joke and Shigure couldn't really be –

"…completely serious."

Tohru blinked as Shigure's voice penetrated her fogged mind. "What?"

"I said I'm completely serious." A smile tipped the corners of his mouth. "Surely you didn't think I was joking?"

"Ah…"

"Oh, really. Would I do that to you?"

"Ah…"

"It's okay. Don't answer that."

"H-Hai," she stuttered while thinking, _He's serious?_

"I know what you must be thinking so let me just explain. I want to…I have to tell you that…Tohru-kun, I'm a writer."

Tohru started to frown. _Does Shigure not know that I already know that? But…he was the one who first told me that._ Confusion was paramount until alarm set in. _Oh! Maybe Shigure-san's sick and forgot. What if he's…He's delirious! That's why he asked me to go on a love-love trip with him and then told me he was a writer again because he thought I didn't know. All that stress from writing must have made his body weak and now he's sick – I should call Hatori-san!_

"Shigure-san!" Tohru suddenly burst out in all concern. "It'll be okay."

He blinked. "It will?"

"Hai. I'll take care of everything so you should go lie down and rest."

"…eh?"

"Don't worry."

As she spoke, she reached up to towards his bemused features only to pause midway when she was reminded that her hands were still stained with dinner preparations. She was quick to wipe them off on her apron before placing a hand on his forehead. It felt normal, which only alarmed her more as she could find no logical physical explanation for his sudden delirium. This problem was much too big for her and, as she was far from being a doctor, she knew that Hatori _had_ to be called in.

"Please, lie down and rest, Shigure-san," she pleaded worriedly. "And I'll call Hatori-san right away!"

Shigure shook his head. "Why?"

"To help, of course!"

"Help with what?"

It was much worse than she thought. "Don't worry," she made in effort to keep her voice soothing. "Just rest and I'll call Hatori-san and then…and then he'll come and fix you!"

"_What!_" Shigure winced at the immediate image that invoked. "Ah, Tohru-kun. I don't think that will be necessary."

"But, Shigure-san, you need to be fixed!"

He winced again. "Please, if nothing else, stop phrasing it like that."

"Eh?"

"Never mind." Shigure spent a moment contemplating the ceiling, and then he heaved a sigh. "Tohru-kun, it's partially my fault but there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding here. For one thing…I'm not sick."

"Oh?" She eyed him doubtfully. "Sometimes I don't want to admit I'm sick either, even when I am. But it's not very healthy to deny it and-"

"I'm _not_ sick!"

Tohru flinched.

And then felt guilty at the immediate contrite that flickered across his features. She warily watched as he shook his head again and contemplated the ceiling some more. Just in case, she took a peek up but saw nothing fascinating about it. He regained her full attention once more as his lips moved, as if he were mumbling lowly to himself, and she thought it was probably her imagination again or her hearing really did need to be checked out because it almost sounded like he said –

_Not sick in the way you mean._

Confusing.

She must have misheard.

Odd how she seemed to be doing so much of that lately. Perhaps scheduling herself for another check up with Hatori was an idea she needed to take under further consideration. Maybe she would though –

She still thought Shigure should see Hatori first.

"Tohru-kun?"

She found Shigure regarding her with a strange look of mixed resignation and exasperation. It was reassuring as she'd seen it before with regards to herself and even with Yuki and Kyou in the aftermath of one of their fights, usually after a piece of furniture had been irreparably damaged. So surely whatever was going on couldn't be too worrisome – could it?

"Tohru-kun, I apologize for raising my voice." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to but…I've been under some stress lately."

She nodded. Exactly as she had thought!

"But I'm not sick so there's no need to bring Ha-san into this. Obviously, I should have phrased my proposition to you differently, but I _am_ still asking – will you come away with me for the weekend?"

"But…why?"

"Eheh. I really should have put it differently. But, as I was saying, I'm a writer and a writer has certain duties that he's assigned to fulfill. However being me, I'm quite proud to say I've been fairly successful at avoiding nearly all of them. Within reason, of course."

Not sure whether she should agree or not, Tohru opted for safe silence.

"Apparently, over the years my diligent shirking has piled up and, as Mitchan is so fond of frequently reminding me – I'm due her one at the very least. Mitchan's been trying to get me to go to one of these for years and I've always avoided them. Until now. She put her foot down and, this time, I just couldn't refuse." Smilingly, he shrugged. "Editors. What can you do?"

"But, Shigure-san." Her brow furrowed. "What does Mitchan-san have to do with the weekend?"

"Writing convention," he responded promptly and his brow wrinkled as he frowned. "I think Mitchan's hoping that listening to other writers speak will give me a new respect for deadlines and other writing nonsense. Honestly, what does she expect of me?"

Once again, Tohru opted for safety in silence.

"But, this time, I was kind enough to cave in. The convention isn't really on the coast, but close enough to it. It's in Hokkaido, Sapporo to be exact. Reservations for two have already been made since I was allowed a guest. Our plane leaves on Friday and since today's Saturday, that'll give you nearly a week to get ready."

Mind whirling, she stuttered, "B-But why me, Shigure-san?"

"Maa, part of the convention entails a formal party held at the end. It's expected that those attending bring a date and since it's difficult finding someone who knows about the curse, you're the first person I thought of. Needless to say, it would be a problem if any…mishap occurred and the chances of that happening with someone who doesn't know is much more likely than with someone who does. So," Shigure looked hopeful, "won't Tohru-kun be kind enough to help a writer in need?"

Put like that, it was difficult for Tohru to refuse. After everything he'd done for her, it was wonderful to be presented with a chance to repay him for all the kindnesses he'd shown her since she had first taken up residence in his home. Even so…

"But, Shigure-san, I can't."

"Why not?"

"There are so many things I have to do. Like…work. What about work? I'm scheduled for the next weekend."

"Don't worry. You work for the Soumas. A simple call and we can get you rescheduled."

"But…"

"Consider it one of the benefits of the family."

"Shigure-san, I want to help. Really I do. But the money – I think I should stay and work."

"Ah, I can take care of that too. I know working is important to you but, Tohru-kun, I'll pay you to come with me."

"That doesn't sound fair." She frowned. "I get to go on a trip and get paid for it? I don't think that's right."

"But you would be doing me a favor. Consider it a job. After all, you'll be taking time out of your busy schedule to help me and traveling to the other end of Japan being forced to listen to some boring lectures is hardly a vacation. And I'll be all alone there by myself. Mitchan has other writers she's taking care of and I won't know anyone there since I've usually avoided attending these things so I haven't really come into contact with other people. I'd like someone to keep me company and keep me from being so lonely and everyone else I can think of to take has other things to do."

Tohru was torn. There were dozens of reasons why she couldn't go on this trip but…it sounded like Shigure was really in trouble. Still, to be paid for it…it bothered her to accept payment for helping someone who'd already given her so much that she didn't think she'd ever be able to fully return in kind.

"Tohru-kun, won't you help me?"

"I don't know…"

"Ara, Tohru-kun's resisting so hard. Is the idea of going on a trip with just me really so bad?"

"Of course not," she automatically responded though the idea did worry her for several reasons. "That is…I mean…I still don't know…"

"Please, Tohru-kun?"

The pleading tone accompanied equally pleading eyes had her wavering dangerously.

"You're my last hope, Tohru-kun. There's no one I can count on other than you."

Tohru sighed. "Okay. If Shigure-san really thinks it won't be too much trouble-"

"Oh, it's not, it's not."

His smile practically beamed at her and she felt herself returning the gesture in kind. Though she still had doubts, many of them in fact, and was anxious as to how she's explain this to certain people, she must be doing the right thing if her acceptance made him this happy. She was doing something that pleased him so surely there was nothing to worry –

"Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed. "Clothes!"

"Clothes?" he repeated in confusion.

"I don't have the right clothes." She vaguely remembered a formal party being mentioned. Panic was as equal as relief. "I don't have a formal dress for a party! Dresses are expensive and I don't have to money so…I can't go!"

"Tohru-kun, Tohru-kun. It's okay. Calm down. I have that covered."

She blinked. "You do?"

"Iie. Since I'm dragging you away and messing up your schedule, it's only right that I provide for everything, ne?"

"It is?"

"Hai. And I've spoken to Aya earlier and he'll be over later in the week to drop off some clothes for you to wear on the trip."

"Eh!" Everything seemed to be moving too fast. "Clothes for me?"

"Of course. Surely, you don't expect me to wear pretty dresses?"

Distracted by a sudden horrible mental image, she shivered and dazedly replied, "Ah, of…of course not."

"You see? Obviously you're the only one suited to wear Aya's designs."

"But…the cost. I couldn't possibly accept-"

"Think nothing of it! He had extras lying around and, since he already had your measurements on file, once I told him what was needed it was a simple matter of picking out what he already had in stock. It's not as if Aya went through any extra effort in throwing together a set of outfits other than to pick them out."

"Still-"

"And Aya was so looking forward to it, too."

"…eh? Ayame-san was?

"That's right. And you wouldn't want to be cruel to Aya, would you?"

Her eyes widened. "Cruel to Ayame-san?"

"Hai. Once I told him about the trip, Aya was so excited to have someone be able to show off his designs in a faraway place like Sapporo! It would be like a modeling job, it's a great advertising opportunity to have his label noticed on another island. Who knows? It might even bring Aya more business in the long run. Starting in Sapporo is just the first step and, if a lot of people take interest, his name could even be widely known across all of Hokkaido! Why, if Tohru-kun were to refuse," Shigure sighed mournfully, "I'd hate to see Aya's disappointed face."

"Oh…" Picturing it had her in distress. "I don't want to see that either."

"Hai," Shigure sighed again. "Aya even gave me business cards for you to carry so that, if anyone were to ask you about who designed your clothes, you could hand them out so they could contact him for orders. Aya was looking forward to having a new stream of customers but…if Tohru-kun doesn't want to-"

"Oh, wait!" She looked at Shigure earnestly. "I can't let Ayame-san down – and Shigure-san too! It just wouldn't be right."

He cocked his head. "So, Tohru-kun will come with me?"

"Hai, I'll do it!" Hands fisted in sudden determination as the reasons for her hesitation were temporarily forgotten. "I'll do my best and wear Ayame-san's designs and give everyone who asks his business card!"

"Arigatou, Tohru-kun." Shigure smiled. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."

oOoOoOo

The next day, a pleased Shigure full from another home-cooked breakfast hummed tunelessly beneath his breath as he perused the morning newspaper, leaning leisurely against the table. Then he suddenly stopped humming, newspaper forgotten, and chuckled.

He couldn't help himself.

The look on her face had been priceless.

Of course, he'd been expecting her initial shock at his proposition when first mentioned. Maybe it was a bit cruel but teasing her was always an enjoyable pastime and, with Kyou and Yuki away, devoid of the usual physical punishments as the result.

Granted, there had been those few minor misunderstandings along the way – he hadn't thought she would think he was sick and then the idea of being _fixed_ was…best not to be thought of again! And he hadn't expected her to put up as much of a protest as she had. It had been more work than he thought it would be, but he was rather pleased overall since he had finally gotten her to agree in the end.

A weekend alone with Tohru-kun.

Ah…the possibilities!

It was truly amazing what could be accomplished in a few brief hours with that wonderful invention known as the telephone combined with the gift that was Souma Shigure. That he had made arrangements before asking Tohru's permission and that she would accept was a given – he was too good at being what he was to have her slip through his trap. So what if he'd told a few little white lies in the process? It was him, who he was. He was a sneaky bastard and he just wouldn't be him if he didn't lie every once in a while. Take away his lies and then what did he have left?

The mere idea was too frightening to contemplate.

Besides, it wasn't as if he was doing anything horrible. He was just trying to get a girl to fall in love with him, not commit murder and mayhem. So, really, it was all in best interest.

His.

But he could and would make it hers too.

He just hoped that Ayame would have the clothes he'd requested for Tohru finished by the time the next weekend rolled around. After the initial reaming about Ayame's secret 'dates' with Tohru, to which Ayame had danced around with such profuse and flowering bubbly speeches that left even Shigure whirling in colored confusion, he had taken up the newest project with a flamboyant gusto that practically left behind a glittering trail of rainbow dust fluttering in the air.

Some things truly never changed.

Oddly enough, when asked, Ayame really had seemed neutral over the phone when Shigure had presented the idea of whisking Tohru away on a trip. Although they hadn't dwelled very long on the topic, it was awkward and Ayame had seemed too caught up in dreaming up his newest creation to pay much attention, apparently Hatori had been right about the fashion designer's sentiments. The tension that might have existed with the circumstances surrounding a best friend, a semi-estranged brother, and the female they were both interested in wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Whatever the case and the possible reasons behind it, Shigure supposed he could only be grateful. Life hadn't always been easy for any of them; his friends were few as it was and the loss of one wasn't something he cared to contemplate.

All in all, things were working out fairly well.

Ayame had a new project he could throw himself into with his usual exuberant devotion. Mitchan had nearly cried a river of tears in happiness that he was getting serious about his writing and had been ecstatic over making the travel arrangements. Tohru would be getting a new wardrobe, a vacation from work and the usual house chores, and the satisfaction of helping those in need. And Shigure was getting what he wanted by providing others with things that made them happy.

He smirked.

Who knew he could be so self-sacrificing?

RING! RING! RING!

"I'll get it!" was a familiar cry.

Curiously, Shigure cocked his head and wondered who could be calling them in the morning. He'd already turned in the rough for his newest manuscript to Mitchan last week, so it couldn't be her haranguing him again about deadlines. And anyone else he could thing of –

Knew better than to call him in the morning.

Laying the newspaper down on the table, he strained his ears. Tohru hadn't called for him so the phone call was obviously meant for her and Shigure had never had much in the way of scruples when it came to eavesdropping. Just as long as he wasn't caught at it, everything was all good. That was his philosophy and he made the most of it. Though he couldn't catch all the words that were being said on her end, the acoustics were such that he heard enough to put him on edge.

"…Hatsuharu-san…hai…Sweet-Cup Café…half an hour…hai…won't tell…be there…"

He was quick to pick up the newspaper again and pretended to read when he heard her moving around. It wasn't long until her footsteps across the wooden floors stopped beside him.

"Ano…Shigure-san?"

At her hesitant words, Shigure looked up quizzically. "Hai?"

"I have to leave for a while. Is there anything Shigure-san needs before I go?"

"Not at all." He kept his smile friendly. "But can I ask where Tohru-kun is going?"

"Oh!" A faint pink dusted her cheeks as she looked away. "Ah…Momiji-kun! Momiji-kun asked to watch a movie together today before I have to work tonight. Is…is that okay?"

"It's fine. So I guess I won't expect you back until later?"

"Hai. I've already made lunch and dinner. It's in the kitchen so..."

"I understand. All I have to do is heat and eat."

"Hai."

"Don't worry. When it comes to button pushing, I'm the king of microwaving."

That made her smile. "Alright, then. I guess I'll be going now."

"Itterasshai, Tohru-kun."

"Ittekimasu."

Another smile, a tiny wave, and then she was gone.

The friendly smile slipped off of Shigure as if it had never been. A dark scowl took residence instead as he contemplated the newest puzzle pieces that had fallen into his lap, the newest unwelcome wrench threatening to mangle his carefully machinated plans.

He couldn't believe it. Even now, it was so unexpected that he still had a hard time wrapping his mind around it.

Tohru had lied to him.

She hadn't done it very well, but the fact remained that she had still done it. Feeling hurt and completely suspicious, he had to adjust his course of action. First things first – before he could assess what groundwork needed to be laid, he needed to get all the facts.

And he knew just how to do it.

Souma Shigure was going undercover.


End file.
